Forlorn Hope
by lordxsauron
Summary: High School/College Real Life AU: What drives an individual to succeed? Is it love, happiness, and joy? Or is it anger, revenge, sadness? A great many emotions drive people, breaking the weak willed while reshaping and pushing the strong willed. Will Jaune be broken or will he push through the muck of life to change into something new... something different? Most RWBY characters
1. Chapter 1: Reality

**Super Important A/N: So this has been something in my mind for a while. I know my stories have a darker tone, but I wanted to do something a bit more realistic. That being said, there is going to be some heavy stuff throughout this story.**

 **Trigger Warnings: Bullying, Alcoholism, Child Abuse**

 **The things discussed in this story is to add a sense of realism and emotions. That being said, the seriousness of these subjects are not to be taken lightly. There were be more trigger warnings as the story progresses. I do want to emphasize these are serious issues that a large number of people live with. These things should not be joked with. This is not an attempt to take away the seriousness of these topics.**

 **Read at your own discretion.**

Chapter 1: Reality

 _They say that happiness helps people achieve their goals. Joy drives people to succeed. Happiness drives people. Well, to be honest, I don't know anything about that._

 _Happiness is something strange to me. It's always in reach, it's always just in reach. The hope of achieving that happiness kept pushing me to go; it willed me forward. Well, to those who say that happiness drives people. I disagree, at least for me. For me, it wasn't happiness that got me here where I am. It wasn't hope. However, I found out that hope quickly dies when you are surrounded by nothing but pain and anger. It was the sheer determination to survive. Willpower drove me to keep on going on. Where did I get this determination and willpower you may be asking?_

 _Hate. Anger. Sadness. For the weaker willed person, they may be broken by these emotions. To the strong-willed, though, it'll carry you far. It will propel you to succeed. But at what cost?_

 _In one of my college classes, if I remember correctly, Minority Literature, Eldridge Cleaver, a famous African American essayist wrote: "The price of hating other human beings is loving oneself less." That may be true, but what happens when people hate you? When you hate yourself? What does that do to yourself?_

 _Can you ever come back from the ever deepening, ever darkening despair? It is just a forlorn hope, a hopeless climb up an insurmountable mountain, a desperate charge over into no man's land? Is pointless to reach for that beacon of hope to reach the land of happiness? Or is the darkness every consuming? I'm not one to say. All I know is that I am one of the lucky ones who managed to persevere. My story is that of a survivor. A veteran of an impossible oddity, still fighting the battles of my youth._

* * *

"Honeeey…. Wake up." which was accompanied by a gentle shake on the shoulder. "Time to get up."

 _Too early for this,_ he grumbled mentally protested. He had only gotten four hours of sleep. That tended to happen when his parents fought, which was at least once a month. It was clockwork; they would drink, they would get drunk, minor issues would escalate quickly, and Jaune wouldn't be able to get any sleep. He opened his eyes to be greeted with the smile of his mother.

 _How can you act like nothing's wrong?_ Everything is all wrong. Jaune got up as he watched his mother leave his room. He was thankful that his family had moved out, no wait for the bathroom. However, there were some definite drawbacks to having siblings with you. He looked at his arm. It was still black and blue from last night.

He entered the bathroom, turning on the showerhead. The room quickly became enveloped in a thick steam. Running his hand in the water, he decided to get in. The warm felt rather comfortable except for his bruised arm. Each droplet felt like a stinger as the warm water felt like hail. At least it wasn't as bad as last year. He thought to himself as he quickly scrubbed his hair with shampoo. When all was said and done, Jaune turned off the shower and quickly dried off. Wrapping himself in a towel, he made his way back into his room. He slipped on a white undershirt with a simple grey t-shirt over. He then put on black and red athletic shorts. He made sure the shirt covered up the bruises.

Making his way out into the living room, he noted that the dining room was eerily quiet. Usually, his dad was there reading the newspaper or watching the news. However, it was empty. His mom was in the kitchen making breakfast. Ahh, another key component to the 'events.' This was all a part of the ritual.

After every fight, his drunken father would leave home, ill-advised when intoxicated, but for some odd reason, the magical liquid happened to distort higher cognitive functions. He would always return home sometime in the late evening with flowers and apologize to both him and his mother.

However, his mother was not free of guilt. She too often didn't know when to let go of a subject especially with a drunk husband. It also didn't hope when his own mother was intoxicated, that usually made everything infinitely times worse. Often, she would pretend nothing happened, and as if to make a slight apology, and to absolve herself of any guilt, she would often make an outlandish breakfast. Something that Jaune hated.

"Breakfast is almost ready hun."

Jaune put on the face of an ever obedient, loving, and often forgetful son. "Thanks, Mom!" In reality, _I really can't stand this shit anymore._ After his mom had served him his plate, he ate in silence, as his mom cleaned the kitchen. After finishing his plate, he scraped the leftover in the trashcan, a relatively substantial amount. He deposited his plate in the sink and grabbed his bag. Usually, he would give his mom a hug, but not this time. He just opened the door, without turning to face his mom, said "Love you," as he headed out of the house, slamming the door shut. This too was all a part of the ritual; he wanted to know that he was upset if she cared or felt ashamed, she didn't let on.

* * *

First day of high school. It was nerve-wracking. However, it has been particularly bad with Jaune's little secret. He felt especially on edge now, trying to create the facade known as Jaune, the popular kid, not Jaune with abusive alcoholic parents.

He walked into the school, keeping to himself. The fewer people he introduced himself to, the fewer people would have the opportunity to find out the horrible, ugly, truth. The halls were filled with students of all grades running up and down the hall. Some scrambled to get to their next class as others clustered in large groups chatting, hooting and hollering. Friends met with one another, laughing and hugging.

He made it to his locker, quickly putting the combination to the lock pad. He managed to open it on the third try. He opened the locker, taking a slip of paper while depositing his book bag. On the paper had his class schedule

 _8:00-9:45: History: Mrs. Branwen_

 _10:00-11:45: English: Mr. Port_

 _12:00-12:45: Lunch B_

 _1:00-2:45: Math: Mr. Oobleck_

 _3:00-3:45: Band: Mr. Branwen._

He walked down the hall, avoiding the large groups. He walked down the stairs to the basement of the school where the class was. In the classroom, behind all the student desks, in the left corner was the teacher's desk. There sat a woman who looked to be in her mid-thirties. She wore a white shirt with black vest. Her black hair cascaded down her back, oddly wild and untamed, yet some general order. Her red eyes were scanning over a book she was reading. Jaune looked at the title. _Carry Me Back, A History of the Domestic Slave Trade. Oh no… this is going to be a real boring class._ He dreaded.

He entered the threshold of what he assumed to be a dreaded stereotypical history class. Her eyes shifted from the book to Jaune. He gulped. A look of a complete hardass looked over him. It quickly faded as she gave a friendly smile. "Good morning." She greeted casually. "May I get your name?"

"Jaune Arc." He replied watching the teacher.

"Alright, Jaune." She pulled a drawer from her desk, retrieving a large stack of papers. She moved over to the front of the classroom, grabbed a remote and turned on the projector. She pulled down the projector screen. "If you could get a syllabus that would be great. The first day, I don't care where people sit." Jaune nodded as he went over to grab the piece of paper.

He went over to further most desk far away from the teacher, in the back. He took his seat as he scanned the paper. Basic contact info, expectations, rules, course outline. The teacher went back to her desk, continuing to read her book. Jaune watched as students filed. A big fella walked in wearing a baseball jersey. His brown hair swept up, his blue eyes gave off the sense of smugness. He took a seat in front of Jaune.

"Sup. I'm Cardin." He held his hand out. Jaune took it "Jaune. Another boy sat beside him. He wore a dirty, oil stained shirt, his green mohawk being rather distracting. "That's Russel." The said boy extended his hand as Jaune shook it.

Jaune noted a girl in rather formal wear took a seat towards the front of the class. Her white theme and long white ponytail were rather too dazzling for Jaune this early in the morning.

 ***BING BING BING***

The teacher stood up, carrying a container of what looked like crumpled up paper _Uhhhhhh…. What?_ "That was the bell to start right?" Jaune asked Cardin. He nodded, looking at the clock

"Yeah…."

Everyone in the room started to look around chatting with each other. _Aren't teachers paid to teach us_? Jaune thought to himself. And yet… his teacher just walked out of the room. The volume in the classroom increased as student gained a sense of freedom. No teacher meant time to goof off of course.

Minutes went by. Jaune looked at the clock; five minutes passed by. "So I don't think we're doing any-"

The door swung open with a loud *BANG!* The teacher walked into the room as everyone immediately shut their mouths. She slammed the container on the stool where the stack of paper was. Everyone eyes went wide. "Now that I have your attention." She scanned the room with her cold, calculating eyes. "If you're going to act up in my class, you might as well just leave. I'm not going to tolerate it, alright?" The room was silent.

"Am I understood?" Her voice rose as if she was a drill instructor. Everyone nodded. "I'm sorry" She cupped her ear. "What was that?"

"Yes!" Everyone shouted.

"Good, you may address me as Mrs. Branwen." She took a syllabus in her hand. "This your syllabus, here are the rules and guidelines for the class, I'm not wasting your time, and more importantly, my time going over this. You're all in 9th grade, I expect that you can read." _Gosh this teacher was not joking around._ Jaune blinked. She was legit downright terrifying.

She took a piece of what was a crumpled up piece of paper and tossed it in the trashcan by the door, a rather impressive shot. She took another piece of paper and tossed in there. Everyone watching, unsure of what to make of all of this. "So I went through this year's textbook," throws another ball of paper, "what a load of shit," Everyone gasped, she seemed not to care as she tossed another piece of paper, "so we're gonna ignore it."

By the time she was done, there was no more paper, just a very thin book.

She stood over her class"You've been lied to throughout your school career. You've been taught that our history was that beauty, of perfection. Everything we did was perfect, that we stood up for everything that was right and just in the world." she looked around the room, she paused, letting her word soak in. "That's all crap. I'm here to teach you the real history of the U.S., of the World. Throughout the semester, I want to keep an open mind, toss those silly misconceptions out the door. We're learning the history of how the worked back then." Jaune nodded slightly impressed. Maybe this won't be such a crappy class anyway. She tossed the book in the trashcan.

"We'll be starting with good old Christopher Columbus." She took out the remote and clicked it revealing a power point. "What do we know about the Italian?"

"He discovered the New World." A student answered.

Raven smirked. "Nope! The first people to discover North America were the Vikings. He also landed on Hispania, not North America. There's a difference."

"He was the first person to think that the world was round." Another suggest.

Raven chuckled. "Nope people knew the world was round at this time, just larger than what it was. Columbus thought that the earth was actually smaller than what it was."

"He was fair to the Indians." Another student added. Raven busted up laughing.

"Fair as in an egotistical genocidal religious maniac that butchered Native Americans and the Spaniards under his command, then yeah… you'd be right." She clicked the power point. "Oh we have a lot to talk about." Jaune leaned in, listening intently. This by far the best history class Jaune had been in.

* * *

The day dragged on. English…. Well… was boring compared to history. Lunch was a rather quiet affair. For the most part, Jaune sat by himself towards the end of the lunchroom, preferring to be alone. However, that changed when Cardin and Russell joined him.

Math was no better. It just dragged on. It didn't help the teacher move and spoke a thousand miles an hour. However, the day was almost over. Band.

A tall, lanky man sat on a stool. He had black hair fading to gray with old age, wearing an aluminum grey suit shirt half tucked in, and a red tie that looks a bit too well tied to have been by him, if his appearance is anything to go by. Jaune moved towards the back where he found a chair with his name written on a piece of paper. He was rather surprised to see that in the same row was Cardin, Russel, and - now that he finally could put a name to the white themed girl - Weiss.

"Alright. Now that everyone is in their seats, this is how things are going to be." He tapped the podium in front of him with his slender baton. "Those are going to be your assigned seats. You have three minutes after the bell rings to get situated, that should be plenty of enough time. Once I sit on this stool, I don't want a peep out of anyone's mouth. Talking will significantly lower your grade. Before we get started, I do have one announcement. If anyone is interested in joining Marching Band, we have an orientation after school."

He tapped his podium. "Let's begin with a few warm-ups." The back row that included Jaune, Cardin, Russel, and Weiss stood up and moved towards the back, towards the percussion equipment. Weiss, on xylophone, the others on snares. "Percussion, eight on a hand." He tapped the podium giving a good warm up beat.

* * *

The bell rang. Jaune made his way to his locker and quickly packed his bag. He made his way on the bus. He took his seat, letting out an exasperated sigh. It was difficult to keep up with the facade all day. It was hard to pretend to be normal. At least he could go home and be himself, for all the good it was.

However, he knew how it was going to be when he got home. Either both parents would be drunk, and he would keep to himself in his room, trying to avoid the anger of his father, praying that he was actually a happy alcoholic, or if a higher being was looking out for him, then only his mother would be smashed. Either way, Jaune grew accustomed to this, he grew accustomed to seeing his parents as a sorry excuse of human life.

On the bus, at least to he could relish being able to decompress with nothing nagging at him or him dealing with adult children. He would relish these small moments of peace and quiet. A shame how things could always be like this.

* * *

He made his way to the door. Each step felt like a mile. Each step felt as if he had transcended time. He climbed the steps and opened the door. The met with the familiar smell of booze in the house. An odor that brought only ill tidings. He turned to the living room to see his mom passed out on the recliner.

Jaune shook his head disgusted by the fact his mom was supposed to take care of him. Instead, Jaune looked after himself. He had to grow up quick without the help of his parents. Jaune rolled his eyes at the sight of his passed out mother. He made his way to the kitchen to see his dad cooking. "Hey Jaune, how was school?" He asked as if nothing happened last night.

"Good." He curtly responded, as he quickly made a sandwich. His father looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"You know I'm making hamburgers, your favorite." His tone almost apologetic. _Food doesn't buy respect_. Jaune thought through gritted teeth.

"I'm not that hungry. Thanks, though." Jaune turned to head back to his room.

"Son wait," Jaune turned around to look at his father. "I'm sorry, I swear it won't happen again. It's just-"

"It's fine." _Lies, Lies, Lies, LIES, LIES!_ His mind blasted away. He quickly suppressed these thoughts. "You always say that…" He muttered to himself as he walked down the hallway to his room.

He closed the door and hopped on his computer, turning on Spotify. He shuffled his playlist. A guitar started to play. Greenday, specifically Boulevard of Broken Dream How Ironic. He listened to the song as he scrolled through Facebook.

Billie Armstrong starts off soft " _I walk a lonely road, the only one that I have ever known_

 _Don't know where it goes, but it's home to me and I walk alone_

 _I walk this empty street, on the boulevard of broken dreams_

 _Yeah fitting, Jaune thought to himself as he sang to the song._

 _When the city sleeps, and I'm the only one and I walk alone_

 _I walk alone, I walk alone_

 _I walk alone, I walk alone_

He saw his sisters all enjoying college or going to parties with their significant others. All happy, all content.

 _My shadow's the only one that walks beside me_

 _My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating_

 _Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me_

 _Till then I walk alone_

And here he was stuck in this hell hole. The only person he could ever rely on was himself now.

 _I'm walking down the line, that divides me somewhere in my mind_

 _On the border line of the edge, and where I walk alone_

 _Read between the lines, what's fucked up and everything's alright_

 _Check my vital signs and know I'm still alive_

 _And I walk alone_

He got up from his desk, feeling a good numbness overtake him. He walked over to his bed singing

 _I walk alone, I walk alone_

 _I walk alone, I walk alone_

 _He collapsed on his bed, looking up the ceiling._

 _My shadow's the only one that walks beside me_

 _My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating_

 _Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me_

 _Till then I walk alone_

 _I walk alone, I walk alone_

Nothing. Emptiness. His eyes started well up as he sang the last verse.

 _I walk this empty street_

 _On the boulevard of broken dreams_

 _When the city sleeps_

 _And I'm the only one and I walk alone_

Tears ran down his cheek.

 _My shadow's the only one that walks beside me_

 _My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating_

 _Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me_

 _Till then I walk alone_

 **A/N**

 **Hey guys! So this is a story as you can tell, it's very different from all of my stuff. All I can say is that you may love it, you may hate it. It's going to be written though.**

 **So there will be a great many characters in this as the story progresses. There will ships. Ships are promised.**

 **Characters may not follow RWBY canon!**

 **Before anyone gets on my case about the history. I graduated with a degree in History Education and am currently enrolled a Master's Degree in Applied History... so I can say I've done my research lol. The point is to illustrate that in most schools, history isn't taught to the fullest extent, we tend to paint a perfect picture, ignoring soem of the uglier facts. I'm not trying to start anything, I'm just expressing my viewpoint.**

 **Greenday's: Boulevard of Broken Dreams? Pretty fitting I would say...**

 **Full cast so far: Jaune Arc, Weiss Schnee, Raven Branwen, Qrow Branwen, Taiyang Xiao-Long, Summer Rose, Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao-Long, Pyrrha Nikos, Blake Belladona, Scarlet David, Sun Wukong, Neptune Vesilias, Lie Ren, Nora Valkyrie, Cardin Winchester, Russel Thrush (More give or take)**

 **If you guys like the story, feel free to leave a follow, favorite, pm, or review. It really helps out! Tell me what you think, I know it's just the beginning to tell me if you had any reactions, thoughts, opinions, questions. All that kind of stuff. I love to hear from all of ya!**

 **Thank you**

 **-Lordxsauron**


	2. Chapter 2: Creating Two Worlds

Chapter 2: Creating Two Worlds.

 _People often live two lives. One is what they portray themselves outside, out in public. The other, how they can be alone or among close friends. It's perfectly fine living two lives, in fact, some might say it's expected._

 _What happens when you live three, four, heck even five lives? Where do you put your time and energy? Is it a good investment? What happens when one world comes crashing down and threatens to topple everything that you created?_

* * *

Another beautiful day, another day Jaune had to hide in plain sight. He grumbled to himself as headed to his first class. The morning was already off to rocky start.

He woke up to find his dad already starting to drink. _Pathetic.._ Jaune thought to himself as he got ready. He just couldn't comprehend the idea of drinking. Guess he would have to deal with that when he got home.

He wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone today, not with what was in store for him when he got home after school. With a heavy heart, but an outward smile he walked into Mrs. Branwen class. There she was at her desk reading the same book from yesterday. She clapped it close as she looked at Jaune. "Good morning Jaune."

"Morning." He muttered. She raised an eyebrow, looking him over briefly. She pulled the drawer and retrieved the stack of papers. She fished through and handed him pack the end of class writing assignment.

"I'm impressed; I usually get a brief answer that summarizes the lesson, but linking this with the Reconquista? That is definitely thinking outside of the box and class." She crossed her arms looking down at him with a smirk. "Where did you learn about the Reconquista."

Jaune looked over the paper with a smile, he received 25/20 on it. "I like history." He said simply. "My dad and I used to watch history documentaries all the time." The teacher nodded, accepting the answer, as she went about handing out the papers, placing them on empty desks. "So what are we learning about today?" Jaune asked a little interested.

"Aztecs." She said as she passed out the assignments.

"Cool." He said as he placed the paper in his binder. By then students were starting to file in.

Cardin took his seat, looking at his paper. "A 10/20?" He crumpled it up. "This teacher doesn't even know what she is talkin about." He looked over to Russel, "What you get?"

"5/20." The mohawk boy spat out. "I saw what that Weiss got… 25/20? Damn overachiever if you ask me." Jaune eyes narrowed in listening. Hostility towards getting good grades. He turned to Jaune. "What'd you get?"

"15/20" He lied. Cardin nodded his head. "Not bad man. We didn't get a chance to ask, were you thinking about joining Marching Band?" The blonde shrugged. It honestly depends, he thought to himself.

"You should totes do it, me and-"

*BING BING BING*

"Alright, class. We're going to get started. Take out a piece of paper." Everyone moaned except for Jaune and apparently Weiss who dutifully complied. "I want you to tell me what you know about the Aztecs. You got five minutes. Don't give me a one-word answer or I'll fail you on the spot."

The bell rang. Mr. Branwen stood up from his podium. "Before I dismiss you." The students kept on backing up their instruments. "HEY! Sit down and be quiet!" Everyone immediately shut up. "The bell doesn't dismiss you, I do!" His red eyes scanned over all the students. "Those signing up for Marching Band, Winds and Brass be out in the parking lot by twenty minutes. Percussion will stay here." Everyone kept on fidgeting. "You're dismissed now."

Jaune took a seat looking over the percussion. Russel, Cardin, Weiss and Myself? That's kinda pathetic if we're supposed to be percussion. More importantly, where is their instructor. Jaune waited in a chair watching Cardin and Russel messing around in the back, his eyes shifted over Weiss who was apparently reading. He sighed.

"What's up everyone?" His attention turned towards the band room door. There stood an extremely familiar person. Mrs. Branwen out of her formal teaching attire, now wearing a West Pine Marching Band shirt and jeans. Over her shoulder a gym bag. Everyone's jaws dropped. "What?" She gave them a curious look.

"You're our instructor?" Jaune couldn't hide the surprise in his voice. She gave them an odd look, nodding her head slightly. "I hope that isn't a problem…?" Her voice sounded slightly unsure. Such a change up from the history teacher version.

"No Ma'am." Weiss closed her book, straightening herself out.

Mrs. Branwen walked over to a chair, dropping the bag, and unzipped it. She pulled out a pair of Vic Firth drumsticks and a practice pad. She sat down on Mr. Branwen's stool as she started to drum on the pad. "Listen, in band, just call me Raven. Mrs. Branwen makes me sound old. Seriously, though call me Mrs. Branwen during school. Alright guys?" Everyone nodded.

"So how you like my brother's class?" Everyone raised their eyebrows. "Brother?" Russell asked.

She shook her head. "Yeah… Mr. Branwen is my brother.."

"We thought you two were…"

Raven smiled, shaking her head. "No, no, no. I decided to keep my last name. I always get that…" She chuckled to herself. "Alright so if you guys could go in the back and get out the drums that would be awesome." She isn't that much of a hardass. She's actually kind of cool Jaune thought to himself as he went in the back of the room. "All you need is one bass, one snare, and the quads," Raven called out, accompanied by the echoing of stick clicks and drum sticks rhythmically tapping out on a pad.

Cardin grabbed a bass as Russel followed behind with a snare in his hands. Jaune looked up at the shelves was the odd trapezoidal case of the quads. Crap.

"You need help with that?" Weiss asked.

"If you wouldn't mind." Weiss grabbed a chair, lifting herself up on it. She pulled the case forward as she angled it down on one side. Weiss eased it down until Jaune was able to grab the end closest to him. She continued to lower it as Jaune held onto it, easing it to the ground. Weiss stepped down from the chair. "Thanks." Jaune offered a friendly smile. She turned to face him, "You're welcome. Just try not to put it up there. Whoever did that was a moron." She walked out.

Jaune knelt down, unclipping the case, removing the lid. He noticed the smallest drum, didn't actually have a drumhead and looped his arm through, carrying the four drums out in the band room. Weiss was on the vibraphone, an instrument that Jaune could not fathom. Playing xylophone was hard enough with all the notes, but adding pedal? That was just too much. Beside her to the left was Russell alright standing behind his snare, Jaune took the spot beside Russell and Cardin, who had set up bass up on two chairs. Jaune placed his quads on its proper stand. "Now that everyone is set up, everyone come up here."

Everyone moves around their instruments huddling around. Raven pulled her bag up and placed it on the podium. "Now, unfortunately, you can't take the sticks home, so I bought all of you some stick." She quickly looked over to Weiss, "I know you're going to be playing the Vibraphone, but I still want you to practice with them, it helps to build chops." She started to hand out a pair of sticks to everyone.

"Chops?" Weiss asked as Jaune noted that Russell and Cardin rolled their eyes. To be honest, he had no idea what chops were either. The instructor extended her arms up clenching her fists. "The muscles in your forearms. We call them chops, don't ask, we've been doing it ever since I was in band." started to tap on her pad. "So these are your sticks, try to take care of them alright?" Everyone nodded. "Awesome."

"Alright, I suppose we should go over stances." Raven stood up from her podium. "So in marching band, Mr. Branwen is extremely strict if you haven't noticed. He expects you act a certain way. When in your in uniform, you're all business. That being said, we have two major positions you need to be aware of. Parade Rest, and Attention." She stood before them. "Parade Rest is pretty easy, just stand straight, feet, shoulder width apart."

Jaune planted his feet down, shoulder width apart, easy enough. "Your sticks should be in your hand, by your side, facing downward." She held her sticks down as followed her lead. "Great, you all got it. Easy enough, right?" Everyone nodded, agreeing. "So then things get fun when the band director or drum major order you all to stand at attention."

"They clap or click off like this."

Click…she tapped her stick together, Click….. "Those are your preps to get ready to count." ***Click*** "One." ***Click*** "Two." ***Click*** "Three" ***Click*** "Move on four." She snapped her feet together bring her sticks together in front of her, holding them slightly in front of her vertically. "Think of three as preparing to move, and four as in moving. Your feet and sticks want to be together on beat four. Let's try alright?"

She tapped off.

 ***Click….. Click….. Click. Click.*** Jaune counted two beats. ***Click*** Jaune prepared to move ***Click*** Jaune snapped his feet together bring his sticks outward. "Awesome work Jaune. Russel, your feet need to move at the same time as your arms, but you've almost got it." She looked over to Weiss. "Your sticks are way too high, they need to be more towards waist. Alright?" Weiss nodded.

"How are they doing?" Mr. Branwen walked into the band room.

"Pretty good, just went over basic orders."

"Show me."

"Band. Parade rest." *** . .*** Everyone assumed rest position. Jaune stared straight ahead, although he could make out Mr. Branwen nodded. "Band. Attention."

 ***Click. Click. Click. Click.*** Everyone snapped to attention Jaune could see that Mr. Branwen was smiling approvingly. "At rest." He ordered. He looked over to his sister. "We're just going over basic marching tonight, so we won't be ensembling."

"Got it." She tapped on her pad mindlessly. "We'll just go over some warm ups and call it a night." Qrow nodded and walked out. She looked over the four percussionists. "Take oh…" She looked at the clock. "Fifteen minutes."

Jaune placed his sticks in their holster wrapped around the quads. Cardin and Russell went off in the hallways while Jaune took a seat some distance between the other two in the room. I could actually get used to this. For all the stereotypes of Marching Band, it's actually fun. See, he always enjoyed order, a sense of professionalism. To him, professionalism was something to take pride in. Something to make sense of chaos, something to tame disorder. With the chaos at home, it was something take his mind off of. Marching band seemed to have an air of predictability. Something which was greatly appreciated.

He sat in his chair pulling out his iPod, looking around the room. There was Weiss, continuing to read. She didn't talk much, she mostly kept to herself, something that Jaune could understand that, in fact, respect.

His eyes briefly looked over to Raven who was jamming out diddling and paradiddling, with a few accents to spice things up, her head occasionally bobbing up and down. Listening to her tap away was really impressive. She must have been insanely good when she was in band. He watched the sticks deftly striking in perfect tempo with that of a racing heartbeat. "How'd you get so good?" He asked watching. She finished off her jam with three loud rim clicks which she caused her to focus on Jaune.

"I've been in band for a long time. Music was always a thing in our family." She twirled a stick in her hand. "I joined Marching Band back when Principle Ozpin was actually a music teacher. Got a scholarship for the Ohio State Marching Band where I met my husband." She smiled as if remembering a fond memory. "I would have tried out for the Blue Devil Corp, but marriage tends to throw things out of balance…"

He could only nod in amazement. _Insanely good was putting it mildly_. Oddly enough, though, she didn't act like a snob like all other athletically inclined people would. No was rather humble about it. Granted she was an adult, but he did now some adults who like to believe they are on top of the world.

Cardin and Russell showed up plopping down beside him as Raven went back to tapping. "Look at her, always acting like she better than us, smarter than us…" Cardin said disgustedly. "She's gotten worse since middle school." He whispered Russell and Jaune as he glared at Weiss. _Well, to be honest, she was the only xylophone player the high school band… of course, she has to be good._ He deadpanned at his 'friend's comment, but he still nodded.

"Band freak," Russell muttered. Isn't he in band too?

"Even the band freaks stay away from her." Cardin chuckled. "Right Jaune?"

 _Whattodo?Whattodo? Just go with it._ "I guess it really does suck to suck." He muttered. Russell and Cardin chuckled.

"Alright, let's get back to it. We'll go over some warm ups and call it a night alright?" She pulled out a binder. She retrieved some papers and distributed them to everyone. "Thanks." Jaune muttered looking over the sheet music. He looked at the title 4,3,2,1. Easy enough.

"So before we get started. I want to stress. You can't be listening to each other. If one person is wrong, it throws everyone off. Instead, you need to be counting for yourself, if you're listening, you're wrong. If you're counting, you're right…. Unless your miscounting… then you're kinda wrong…" Everyone chuckled.

* * *

And snap. Jaune brought his sticks together as everyone hit the last beat. The four of them stood at attention. "Alright, you're free, at ease." Everyone relaxed. Jaune put the quad sticks in his holster and turned around to put his new drumsticks in his book bag. He unhitched the quads from its stand and went back to the storage room, placing the quads back into its proper case.

"You did well today." Jaune turned around as Weiss was behind him grabbing her own book bag from the storage room.

Jaune offered a warm smile. And here I was talking crap behind her back. "Thanks, so did you." Weiss shrugged.

"I guess. I've always been one for keyboard instruments and I always enjoyed percussion." Jaune nodded not knowing what to say. She put on her bag as something just hit him. _I don't have a ride! Crap. Crap. Crap!_ "Hey Weiss, would you mind if I borrow your phone. I need to make a phone cool."

She reached into her pocket pulling out her phone. She unlocked it for him offered it to him. He put in his number and tapped the green phone icon. _Please pick up._

 ***Ring***

 _Please be awake._

 ***Ring***

 _Please….._

 ***Ring.*** Jaune sighed. No pickup. He ended the call and handed the phone to Weiss. "Thanks." He said somewhat dejectedly.

"Something wrong?"

Yeah, no ride. I'm going to be walking home…. "Nope just fine." He offered cheerily "I'll see you tomorrow." Weiss nodded, content with Jaune's response and headed out. Jaune sighed as he sat on his case. _I guess I should have given them a fair warning I was even considering joining band…._ He thought to himself. Jaune laid down on his back, looking up at the light, thinking.

… …. … …

 _Crap. I need to get home._ He was the only one in the band room besides Raven sitting on her stool, continuing to tap a somewhat organized beat while talking to Mr. Branwen who was at his desk.

"Yep. They seem like a pretty good group." Jaune couldn't help to let his shoulders sag, a frown on his face. "In fact, Jaune here seems to one of the more serious ones, him and Weiss." Jaune froze turning to face him, his frown lingering for a second before he realized he needed to snap out of it. _Come on you're still at school. Get your head out of your ass._

"Thank you ma'am." Realizing that her brother was more of the formal thinking.

"Manners too? I like him." Mr. Branwen smiled. However, Raven was watching him very carefully.

"Yeah, he's going to do well." She reassured, her tapping slowed down quite a bit. Mr. Branwen grinned as he walked over offering his hand. They shook. "Well, I look forward to working with you Jaune."

"You too Mr. Branwen."

He chuckled. "Listen when no one's around, Qrow is just fine, alright?" Jaune nodded. The Branwens were so formal in school, but outside, their so relaxed. "You have a way to get home?" Jaune frowned ever so slightly.

He quickly recovered. "Yep. I'll see you tomorrow." Raven and Qrow looked at each other for a moment.

"Have goodnight Jaune." Raven waved him off. As he left, the two Branwens looked at each other.

"Is it just me or did something feel off?" Qrow said rubbing his chin.

"I felt it too." His twin sister responded as she packed her bag, she started to diddle on her pad. Something was just nagging at him. Everyone left early within five to ten minutes, but Jaune, he stuck around for another hour in the storage room. She packed her own bag. "Say hi to Tai and Yang for me."

"Will do. See you tomorrow." She responded without thinking. Something was just nagging at her.

* * *

Jaune finally made it home after an hour worth of walking. It was starting to get dark, but he was thankful for whatever light he still had. He opened the door greeted with the familiar smell within the house.

He looked in the living room. His dad passed out on the couch as his mom was in the kitchen swaying back and forth. "Hey. Sorry, I'm late." She turned to face him, swaying as if an unstable Jenga tower. He could see it in her eyes. Those glazed over eyes. The same eyes that Jaune hated.

"Ohhh.. Your homeee. Wha tiem is it?"

"Seven." Jaune responded bluntly.

"Ohhh…. I mustve vrslept."

"I guess. I joined marching band, so I need a ride home Tuesdays and Thursdays."

"Sssssure thing sweety." She turned over to the stove almost falling to the ground. "You wants some dinners?"

"No, I'm fine. I think I'm going to bed early."

"Alrightttt. I love you honey."

Jaune rolled his eyes muttering "Yeah."

* * *

 _It's a funny thing trying to live in a reality that you want no part of. So what do you do if you want out? Some create an alternate reality in their mind. They try to convince themselves that not everything is so bad. They try to convince themselves that things will get better. But what happens when things don't get better, or if they get worse? Will they continue their descent in this downward spiral? Will drive themselves insane with their self-constructed lies?_

 _Some create another personality that they know is distinctly separate from their real self. They know that this alternate personality is a lie, a ruse to convince others that they are in normal. What happens when this personality melds with the real self? Can they still distinguish what is real and what is fake? Does it create new entity a new person?_

 _I don't know. This is up to the individual to decide if they can see it. All I know is that living two lives, three lives, heck even four lives gets more complex to navigate. It also becomes increasingly more dangerous._

* * *

 _A/N_ So, I got a guest review saying that it was "Another fic about suicidal Jaune suffering that is so short that you had to use song lyrics to extend the length..."

Naturally when I saw this I was irrate, clearly this person... dare I say coward, doesn't know how I operate. For those of you who have just started to follow me you'll have to forgive my slight tirade. But here goes: This not just a simple "suicidal Jaune suffering" fic. No, this something outside of that. This is attempting to address very real social issues. To think of suicide as something so simple is rather offensive. It is also abundantly clear that you haven't followed my other stories. I write in a way that portrays life. Life is full of ups and downs and nothing is ever clear black and white. I don't write like that. So claiming that it is so simple like that... I find it rather offensive to me.

Oh and guess what? another chapter? huh... so short huh? I don't do short stories. I don't one shots. I like developing long, complex stories, so another strike. And third strike: Being too much of coward by leaving a guest review. Yeah guess what buddy, you've lost my respect. I don't have a problem talking to people, but at least give me an opportunity to explain myself... to automatically declare something as bad without hearing justification is incredibly insulting to me.

* * *

Rant over. My humble apologies people. If I am given respect, I give it back, that's how I work, if I'm bashed, im going to fight with fire. That being said. I do want calm everyone's fears that Jaune is not going to be cut and paste depressing and sad. No, he's going to be a human being, filled with emotions that we experience everyday. We are going to see how events change his perception as he grows through the "years." That being said, this will be a long, and I hope, enlightening, and enjoyable story.

I know the content is sad at points, but there were be some ups to it, fear not. I just wanted to address some of my new followers.

So marching band played a huge role in this chapter, I hope described it accurately, it's been a long time since I was last in it xD. But hopefully we can get a feel for what it is. Also Raven... yeah she's kinda different outside of the classroom huh? Outside Raven is best Raven xD. No, but for real, I hope you enjoy Raven, she'll be playing a major role. Characters will continued to be fleshed out as the story is told. Never worry.

Also I'm trying to connect the preface and afterward to some of the bigger issues of the story as well as the chapter, tell me what you think!

If you guys enjoyed the chapter, give a shout out, I love to hear what you guys think! I take criticism, opinions, suggestions, ideas, theories! I want to hear from you. If you didn't like the story, tell me why (respectfully please), if you thought it was meh, let me know. If you liked a particular thing, let me know. It really does truly help! I love to hear from my readers.

 _REVIEWS! (Something new for me)  
_

Wes: Also glad to hear from ya mate! I hope I don't disappoint with this story. I like stories with some ups and downs ya know from all of my other stories lol. As for team CFVY, I wasn't thinking about, but if I can work it in, I most certainly will!

ConVix: I'm glad you liked the chapter. I hope I don't disappoint (publishing a new chapter... heck even story.. can always be a little unnerving lol) Thanks for the review mate! It's appreciated.

Thanks for reading

-Lordxsauron


	3. Chapter 3: Living in the Threshold

**Ch 3: Living in the Threshold**

 _What exactly does threshold mean? Well the Meriam-Webster dictionary states that it has two definitions. First: A piece of wood, metal, or stone that forms the bottom of a door and that you walk over as you enter a room or building. The second being the point or level at which something begins or changes._

 _All of my life, I have tried to live in that small space between rooms. However, it wasn't two rooms, in all actuality, it was two worlds._

 _Understandably that space is rather cramped. I never try to touch one world, I push them away, trying to keep my sanity. However one misstep can overthrow everything. Worlds can collide. You find yourself being pulled into the worlds, trying remain separate from both of them, yet outside forces have an unconquerable pull to them, almost like gravity._

* * *

Two weeks had gone by. Classes were going well, home was to be honest…. Meh at the best. Marching Band was amazing. Fridays were always amazing. However, this friday was a special day. It was West Pine's first home football game.

Jaune sat down at his desk, pulling out his binder and taking out his essay on Spanish Colonial Policy. Usually Jaune was the first one in class, but today he was extremely early. He always preferred to be driven to school. He preferred to be there thirty minutes early, it was almost like a mini break for him. A time to just to relax. He put his head down on his desk. He didn't get a lot of sleep due to another incident, now might be a good time to catch some rest.

*Click* *Clack* *Click* *Clack* echoed through the halls.

"Good morning." The teacher said. Jaune instantly snapped up. "You feeling alright?" Slight concern in her voice.

"Morning Mrs. Branwen, ya I'm just tired." He yawned wiping the sleep from his eyes. _Exhausted is a better word…_ She looked at him with the briefest of looks. "Excited for the game tonight?"

He nodded. "Yeah… just a little nervous." He scratched the back of his head as he watched the teacher drop her bag off at her desk. She pulled out a binder and placed it on her desk, pulling out a rather large stack of papers, a staple in her class.

"Ahhh don't be, it's just a game, which we're going to lose anyway. You'll all do fine." _I hope so._ "Besides, you memorized your music right?" Jaune nodded. "Then you'll be fine. Don't get yourself worked up."

"Yeah, thanks." She just hummed back as she got her class setup as people started to file in. Cardin accompanied by Russell walked in.

"Sup Jaune." Cardin dropped his books, sitting at his desk turning to face him. "You look like garbage bud."

"Yeahhh…. Didn't get enough sleep."

Russell walked up to him, rubbing his hair. "Ohhhh my poooorr babyyyyy." Jaune swatted his hand away with a grin. "Get out of here. You guys finish your papers?"

"Yeah... probs goin to get a C." Russell muttered depressively which Cardin nodded in agreement. "I feel ya man, I do."

 ***BING BING BING BING*** Jaune looked towards the front of the class. _No Weiss. Strange. Is she sick? We have a football game today…..._

"Alright class. Take your papers out. Jaune go collect them." Jaune rolled his head and got up, collecting each paper as he went by each student, taking their paper. Mrs. Branwen took out a remote and turned on the projector.

Jaune turned to look at the screen. On it was powerpoint slide that said 'DEFINITELY not a word bank….' Underneath the title were certain keywords that may or may not have been on a test. He handed the stack of papers to the teacher. "Thanks Jaune. Go sit. Now." Jaune smiled nodding.

"Alright. Listen up." she moved to the front of the classroom, passing out the tests. "I'm only going to say this once. If you talk, if you whisper, if you look anywhere besides your own test, I'll consider it cheating. If you cheat, I'll take your test, rip it up, throw the confetti at you, give you a zero, and kick you out of the room. So please, please make my day. I love to fail people for being stupid." Jaune couldn't help but to chuckle. _I would love to see that…._ Although not at his expense.

He filled his name out on the test. Multiple choice, fill in the blank, and two long essays. "For the long essays. I expect something substantial. Don't just give me a paragraph. The more you put in, the better your grade will be, but if you put in fluff, I'll mark it wrong." She called out from her desk which caused him to look over. She was reading a new book. _Guns, Germs, and Steel_. Jaune nodded as he went back to his test.

He quickly filled the first two answers asking for important dates and people, the identifications were easier, he didn't even need to look up the unofficial official word bank. He moved onto the essay questions.

 _What were some of the factors that caused the defeat of the Aztec Empire?_ And _How were the Natives treated in Spanish Colonial society? Be specific._

Easy.

* * *

*Cafeteria*

Jaune sat at his usual spot, choosing not to eat. He felt a little uneasy with the whole game coming up. He just simply didn't have an appetite. Cardin and Russell sat down beside him, digging into their own meals.

"Not hungry man?" Russell asked with a mouthful of spaghetti.

Jaune shook his head. "Upset stomach." Russell nodded, accepting the answer.

"Weiss isn't here…." Cardin scowled as he took an angry bite out of his apple. "She's going to throw us off tonight…" He said bitterly.

 _Maybe there's a legitimate reason….._ "Maybe she's sick." Jaune tried to reason. Cardin shifted his attention to the blonde.

"So what? You grind through. You don't let people who depend on you, down." _Didn't Raven say not to rely on each other? Obviously, Memo not received._

"I guess so." Jaune just shrugged them off. He took a sip from his Gatorade bottle. "We'll be fine though."

"Bitch." Cardin muttered bitterly as he continued to munch on his apple.

* * *

*After Band*

"Alright I see ya guys down at the field in thirty minutes." Mr. Branwen looked at Percussion. "You guys can stay here." He looked at his watch, "until 4:30. Tell Mrs. Branwen." Jaune nodded. Cardin and Russell were busy getting the drums out while Jaune set up the stands.

After about ten minutes of setting up, The room was empty except for the three. Russell and Cardin were up on their stands while Jaune enjoying the brief respite. "Hey guys." Raven walked in with her bag. As tradition she wore her band shirt with jeans, she dropped her bag and pulled out her sticks and pad. Jaune went to his drum which Russell set it up for him. "Thanks." he said to the green mohawk boy.

"So Weiss should be here in about thirty minutes." Raven looked up at the three. "She's sick, but she has a doctor's note. So we'll have a full line tonight." He noted how Cardin and Russell seemed pretty irritated overall. "Slacker." Cardin muttered. The instructor didn't seem to catch on.

"So we'll do some accent taps and triplet rolls. Then we'll teach you some cadence."

Jaune raised his hand. She nodded at him. "So… what exactly are cadence?"

"A drumline beat that helps keep the band marching in time. Lucky for you, I've decided to scrap our old one and I created a new one. Now. Set." Everyone snapped to attention. She started to tap a steady beat on her sticks. "Jaune lead." _Shit._ Usually it was Russell who tapped it out. Jaune nodded, tapping his sticks with the tempo of her own.

 ***Tap… Tap… Tap… Tap… TAP… TAP… Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.** They started.

Jaune set into a comfortable routine. Everything around ceased to exist. All he could hear was the temp in his mind, his heart, his legs, and hand. He was alone, in perfect solitude, finding harmony with the sticks in his hands. Something calmed all of his senses. All of the worries. All of the problems, all of the pain poured out of him. He felt content. He felt at peace. He lost track of time.

He saw a fist in the air.

 ***TAP.*** He quickly snapped to attention, bringing his sticks together. "Hey Weiss." Raven greeted, still tapping away on her pad. The white theme girl walked over, paper in her hand. "I don't need that. Mr. Branwen also knows, don't worry about it." She nodded as she headed to her vibraphone. "Relax." The instructor called out. She looked at the clock. "Take a ten minute break, I need to make some copies." She said as she grabbed her binder, leaving the room.

Jaune put down his sticks as he watched Cardin wandering over to Weiss. "Enjoy sitting on your ass all day?" Weiss took a step back, shocked by the comment.

"Uhh excuse me, but I was sick." She defended herself with a scratchy voice. She coughed for extra emphasis.

"Cardin." Jaune looked over. "She isn't worth your time. Besides, she'll get you sick. We need you more than her." _That came out harsher than I thought…._ At that, the tall muscular boy took a step back and walked off with Russell, the two walked over to the foyer twirling their sticks in their hands.

He could feel two blue eyes on him looking him over. He looked back, unable to say anything. _Why the hell did I say that?_ The looks in her eyes was something that Jaune could never forget. A look of hurt, a look of betrayal in her sorrowful eyes. She looked as Jaune looked away. _FUCK. It was to get Cardin off of her. I didn't mean that._

 _Why don't you just tell her then?_

 _I can't, she won't believe me._

 _Say something!_

 _If I do, Cardin and Russell WILL find out. NO, shut up and deal with it. You did it to help her, get over it, she will too._

Raven returned with her binder. She sat on her stool looking over Weiss. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm doing well ma'am."

"Raven please…" She corrected with a smile. "Listen don't push yourself. If you need to take a break, go ahead, we don't want you to get worse. I appreciate you coming even if you're sick."

Weiss looked over to Jaune. "I wouldn't want to let down the band."

"Like I said don't push yourself. Jaune would you mind go getting the others?" Jaune nodded. "Thanks."

Jaune went into the foyer where the water fountain and two bathrooms were. Oddly enough, the foyer used to be the school office before the new renovations, now it was basically a private band room with bathrooms. He opened the doors to find Cardin and Russell joking around.

"God I didn't know it was possible for her to get uglier." Cardin chuckled.

"Ohhh yeah…. I feel sorry for the poor sap that could fall for her. She's got absolutely nothing to go with her." Russell shot back with toothy grin

Jaune stepped through the door, the door closing behind him. "Hey guys, we're getting ready to start.

"What do you think Jaune?" Cardin asked.

"Listen, we need to get back, come on." _Not smart_ , he thought as he heard the other two boy grumble behind him. "And yes, I agree with you. I feel sorry for the sap that falls for her." _I shouldn't have added the last bit_ , he berated himself.

He felt a massive hand on his shoulder. "That's my boy!" Cardin shook him. They headed out of the foyer.

Raven clicked her sticks together repeatedly "Welcome back lazy bums. Come on, we've got thirty minutes to go over cadence. Chop Chop." Everyone rushed over to their drums. Jaune noted the glaring that Cardin gave to Weiss who wasn't doing a thing "Alright, we'll give a run through. Jaune tap us off." Jaune nodded as he pulled out his sticks, tapping a steady beat.

* * *

She held a fist up. After going over for Jaune lost count of how many times, he felt pretty certain they got it. He hit the last beat with a confident *TAP*

"Alright, who here can drive a tractor?" Russell raised his hand confidently. "Great you'll be driving the tractor down. Let me go get the keys. Can someone help Weiss with her vibraphone?" Jaune raised his hand, earning strange looks from his two male peers. _Hopefully it'll be enough to make up for it._ With that Raven left as Cardin and Russell made their own way out.

He looked at Weiss neutrally. "Come on, I'll get the big end." He moved around the end of the vibraphone. "I thought you didn't want to get sick, besides you don't need me." She crossed her arms, the scorn in her voice evident.

"Obviously I was lying. We need everyone." He lifted up the big end, easing it down the tier step. Weiss reluctantly went to the small end. "I have some sheets from history, and you can borrow my notes if you want." He moved down another tier with her small ending on the second tier. "The only thing you missed was the test, which you'll do fine on." Last tier. Weiss moved her own down. Jaune pushed instrument through the front door as Weiss held open the door.

"Thanks." She said in her scratchy voice.

Jaune offered a small smile. It felt good to be somewhat helpful at least. They round the corner, seeing Russell sitting on the tractor as Cardin was pushing the tractor backward. They reached right in front of the cart that was hitched to the back. Jaune stepped on the cart and lifted up the large end as Weiss did the same for the small end. Jaune shifted the Vibraphone into its braces to prevent it from moving. He grabbed two cables and fastened them around the heels, connecting them to a hook in between the two wheels on both sides. Giving a brief push, they didn't budge. "Good to go." He said flicking one of the cables.

"Thanks." She said again. Jaune nodded, making sure not to say anything, not with other two around him. He made his way to them, as the four of them waited, Raven showed up with the keys, she tossed them to Russell. "If you break anything Russell, you buy it. Got it?" Her tone taking on the serious professional again. He nodded hesitantly. "Good, let's get going." She moved to the other side of the cart. "Weiss hop on and hold it steady, I got it from this end." Weiss nodded as she boarded.

"Free loading again…." Cardin muttered.

"She's sick and has the only instrument she can't actually carry." Jaune reminded him.

"I guess. She better not fuck up tonight though." Jaune didn't respond. _I hope so too._ The walk down was done in silence as they reached the football field. The tractor parked itself right on the 50 yard line. Raven grabbed her bag and sat on the bench right in front of the four. "A word of advice. When it comes to practice be on your best behavior. Qrow gets angry when people don't take practice seriously."

"COME ON GUYS! GET YOUR HEADS IN THE GAME!" Qrow's voice boomed from the speaker setup. The drum major, also a freshman, but has been doing marching band since 7th grade, Velvet Scarlatina flinched. Jaune noticed how she waved at Weiss who returned it back.

* * *

The wrap up of the practice was a performance. Jaune thought it went alright, sure he messed up a few spots, heck he even got lost, but he was able to drop out and get right back in. "Good job guys." Qrow said from his mic. "You guys are dismissed. Make sure you're ready to go in a half an hour." He turned off his mic and gave a huge thumbs up to everyone before he walked down the stands, Raven joining him. However, Qrow walked more towards the school as Raven walked up towards the four percussionists.

"Great job everyone. Jaune I saw you lose your place few times, but you got right back in. Well done. Cardin, you listening to Weiss another time. When she was off, you were off. You have to stop that. Russell, solid performance overall, however, don't get carried away with temp. Weiss good job, make sure you're aware of inflection though. Now go on, get some food, take a break, you've all earned it."

Russell and Cardin walked over together as Weiss walked over to Velvet. He was fine with that. He went over to the concession stand bought a bottle of water and made his way back up to the school, making sure to grab his quads. He wasn't too hungry, still being haunted by the pre-game butterflies. He needed some him time, where he wasn't being constantly conflicted.

Making it up the school was getting a little tired from carrying fifty pounds worth of drums while avoiding the potholes in the poorly paved road that led back up to the high school. He made it into the band room, seeing Raven sitting in a chair, legs propped up on the desk, taking a bite out of a burger, while Qrow was on his own stool, trying to cool off his pizza.

"Hey Jaune." Raven greeted, looking him over with a raised eyebrow. "No food?" Qrow looked over at him, clearly not pleased.

"Sorry. I'm just not hungry."

Qrow shook his head. He extended his plate. "Here take it." Jaune was about to protest when he continued. "You're not going anywhere until you eat something. Now eat." Qrow urged with the plate. Jaune reluctantly accepted. "Thanks."

"I know first games can be a little nerve wracking, but you need to keep your strength. It's going to be a long night." Jaune took the pizza slice and went towards the back of room. He put his drum down, and went back to the storage room to grab his uniform and shaco. After putting it down, he put his ear buds, turning his ipod on choosing some Muse. However, he kept the volume down a little bit, being able to keep tabs on things on around him.

"So was Yang, she is starting to get rambunctious. She's going through that whole teenager rebellion age." Raven chuckled. "She so insistent on growing her hair out now…"

"Gee…. I wonder where she got that from…"

"I wasn't that baaad…." She crossed her arms.

"Rae, look at your own hair."

"It's beautiful." She hmpfed. "Well anyway, she's been getting more sassier as of recently. Doesn't help that Tai just lets it happen."

"It's a good thing me and Summer don't have to deal with that."

"Psht. You just wait, and when it starts happening don't come crawling back to me." The two carried on back and forth laughing about people who Jaune didn't know, he assumed their family.

Jaune watched as several people started to file in, retrieving their own uniforms. Jaune stood up and proceeded to put on his uniform. Jaune unzipped the carrier sleeve and pulled out his overcoat and suspender pants.

"Hey Jaune where were you? We were lookin for ya." Cardin came up and slapping his back in a friendly manner.

"Ehhh wasn't feeling too good, I just wanted to come up here."

"You probs got it from her." Russell laughed as he took out his own coat. Jaune slipped on the pants over his shorts, as he reached for his jacket. The jacket consisted of two black sleeves coming up to green coat with a white diagonal stripe. On the right upper corner was embroidered in two white letters "WP" Cardin zipped him up as Jaune put on the gauntlets.

"Alright, everyone line up!" Qrow called out as everyone finished putting on their green shakos with black plumes. Jaune put on his harness and lined up; Cardin to his left, him in the middle, and Russell to his right, Weiss directly behind him.

Velvet clapped her hands. "Band. Attention." Jaune snapped together with the rest of the band simultaneously. Jaune could see from the corner of his eye Raven looking them over having the smallest of smiles. "Mark. Time. Mark."

Russell tapped off. The percussions hit the starting note simultaneously.

* * *

They reached the hill and had about ten minutes to warm ups. The show was divided into three parts. A strong opening, with gentle soft ballet, and climatic and powerful finishing.

The ballet went off without a hitch, Cardin and Russell were able to keep with the intensity and tempo. Jaune was able to grind through, occasionally slowing down, trying to remember his part but he was able to catch up.

Then there was the ballet. Weiss was the solo percussionist that kept the beat for the band with her vibraphone. However, she was completely off the beat, leading the band to collapse in on itself.

That being said, the finisher crashed in burned. Cardin and Russell were completely off from Weiss who managed to catch the regular beat. Jaune kept beat, trying to accent the beat for the two, but they couldn't get caught up. The band was just all over the place . Formations were sloppy, parts didn't line up, pitch didn't match.

*TAP* Jaune hit the last beat. Cardin missed it. Russell was embarrassingly late.

Cardin glared at Weiss. _God that was rough._ However, something else nagged him. He couldn't see his parents. The stands were empty, football games weren't a big deal for West Pine due to the team being garbage. It would be easy for him to see his parents.

The tractor pulled the cart with Weiss' instrument. Carried it off.

Raven caught up with everyone, not looking happy. "Yeah. We've got a lot of work to do still." An edge in her voice. However it lightened up quite a bit. "Don't worry about it now, just try to enjoy the night now."

* * *

Jaune marched up the hill. He could feel everyone's anger and resentment. They lost the football game 12 to 52, but worse yet, the band put on a half assed performance. Raven remained optimistic, but Qrow was not a happy camper. "Band. Attention!" Velvet called out. "Mark, Time Mark." She clapped the tempo. Russell tapped off. *Dat.* *Dat.* * . .*

Playing going down to the field was one thing. There was still sunlight, a slower tempo, and going down hill with fifty pounds of drums on you was easy. Velvet was not wasting anytime though. Jaune had to think extra hard on his part. A combination of tiredness, anger, and lack of enthusiasm made it much harder, let alone double timing up a road that was not lit and filled with potholes.

Jaune was angry. Beyond pissed. He asked his parents to be there. What a shocker, they weren't so now he had to walk home. He tried calling during half time. No pickup. He tried right before the last kickoff. Nothing. So yeah, getting to walk in the dark for an hour would be the best way of spending his Friday evening. _This is so fucking ridiculous._

"Jaune." He continued to pound away, taking his frustration out on his drum.

"Jaune!" Not giving a damn how loud he was, Russell and Cardin were feeding into it, pounding into their own drum.

He felt a sharp pain in his ankle. _FUCK._ He fell to the ground, drum crashing into him. He felt a sharp pain in his elbow and hand. _SHIT._ He gritted his teeth as bolts of pain shot from ankle and coursed throughout his body.

"Jaune you alright?" Raven dropped down beside.

"KEEP MARCHING!" Qrow shouted as he ran behind the band. "Watch your step!"

 _Shit a pothole._ "Jaune you alright, can you stand up?" Qrow knelt down beside him as Raven pulled out her phone and used the screen as a flashlight.

"Sorry guys." Jaune muttered through the pain.

"No Jaune, we need to get off the road. I'm taking your quads off." There was no negotiating. Mr. Branwen eased the harness off of him as Raven draped his arm around her shoulder. "Be ready." She warned as she lifted him up. _FUCK._ More bolts of pain shot up. She helped him over to a small hill off the road.

"Damn this school. Too cheap to light its own road." Qrow cursed.

"Sorr-"

"Nope don't, it isn't your fault." He turned to his sister. "How bad is it?"

"Hopefully it isn't broken. You think you can make it up to the school?"

"Yeah." Jaune grunted as he lifted himself up with the help of his instructor. He hobbled up the hill with the help of Raven. Qrow following shortly behind. Qrow passed the two and addressed the rest of the band.

"Listen, guys, when we go up to the school, we have to be extra careful. Our school is too lazy and cheap to fix the potholes or light the street." He cleared his throat. "I know tonight wasn't the best performance. I'm not going to yell, that won't do anything. Learn from it. Promise yourself you'll do better next time, and you will. You're dismissed."

"Cardin come over here." Raven called out. The big boy walked over, "Help Jaune out of uniform, I'll take your drum." Cardin nodded, putting his drum down as Raven carried it in with ease.

"Clown." Cardin chuckled as he helped Jaune up the stairs.

"Shut it." Jaune joked. "Not my fault."

"You're absolutely right. We didn't fuck up tonight because of you." _Oh my god. I don't need this right now._ The two were in the band room, Russell putting everyone's drums away. Cardin unzipped Jaune's coat, as Jaune got out of his own pants.

He sat there as Qrow came up to him with an ice pack and offered it to him. Raven then wrapped the ice pack and his ankle in some bandages. "You're going to want to get that looked at." Qrow looked at his bloody hand. He shook his head, taking a bottle of peroxide and pouring into the hand, causing Jaune to wince in pain.

"...Yeah." Jaune mumbled. The two Branwens looked at each other. Everyone else was packing up their stuff as Jaune sat there. The pain was lessening up. "Hey Raven, can I borrow your phone?"

"Sure thing." She handed it to him. He dialed the number. Still no pick up. _For fuck's sake._ He mentally screamed. Anger flashing in his eyes. He turned it off, handing it to Raven.

"What's wrong?" She asked slightly concerned.

"Nothing." Raven wasn't too happy with that.

"You need a ride?" Raven guessed, growing slightly more concerned.

"No. I'll just walk." Jaune grumbled bitterly.

Raven looked at him, crossing her arms staring down at him. "Considering how it's pitch black out, no. Now you have a pretty messed up foot. Hell no." He looked at her. Something told him she wasn't going to let this go. "Where's your bag, we're leaving."

"Better not fight her on this." Qrow chuckled. In the storage room. By now the room was empty. Everyone had left to go and enjoy their weekend. She went into the back, carrying her own bag and Jaune's bag. "Come on, let's go." Jaune hobbled after her.

"Did your parents know about the football game?" She asked eyeing him over.

"Uhhh… ye- nono… I forgot to tell them." _Nice one Jaune._ She eyed him over.

They made it outside where Raven led him over to a black Sedan, she placed the bags in the back. He got in the passenger seat as she started the car. "You're going to have to tell me where you live."

"Warm Creek Drive." Jaune said, silently down. "Raven, thank you. You really didn't have to do this."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Of course I did." Jaune flinched. "But honestly, I don't mind. It's not a big deal." The rest of the drive was spent in relative silence. She made a right turn down a small gravelly drive way, coming up to a small cottage two-story house beside a creek.

"Here we are." Jaune mumbled. "Thanks again." He felt a strong hand on his shoulder which caused him to freeze.

"Listen Jaune. I know I'm a teacher, and I can be a hardass, but I want you to know that I do care about my students. All of them. If you ever need to talk to someone, don't hesitate to come to Qrow or myself, we won't betray your confidence. Alright? Before you ask, no I won't say anything about this." Jaune let out a sigh of relief, he was touched, truly, he was. He gave a reassuring smile. "I will. Thank you for everything."

Jaune got his bag from the back of the car. Raven parked the car, making sure he got inside. She reached for her phone and dialed a number, watching him hobble inside.

"What's up?"

"Qrow, something is up with Jaune." She looked out the window, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel. No lights, the house was totally pitch black besides the solar power garden lamps which didn't do much for lighting. Why the hell would the lights be off if his parents were aware of their son's activities in school. Jaune also seemed to be the responsible one, never forgetting details, no matter how small. Something just doesn't add up.

Qrow sighed from the other side of the phone. "We can't do anything about it,though."

"I know, I just feel helpless." She sounded a little down, looking at the house.

"All you can do is just be there for him. If he opens up, that's up to him." He said flatly, as if not concerned.

"Yeah, Thanks." She noted sharply. She looked away from the house, slumping her shoulders. She knew her brother cared, but he tended to keep his feelings inward when it came to heavy things. A brief moment of silence on the phone.

Qrow cleared his throat "We still good for this weekend? Ruby wants to see Yang." He noted in a more upbeat attitude.

Raven chuckled, touched by her niece's enthusiasm. "Yeah. We are, Ill see ya tomorrow."

"Mhhm bye." He hung up the call. Raven put her phone down, however something nagged at her. However, Qrow was right, she can't force him. She tapped her driver's wheel in thought. She shook her head, not liking any of this. She turned her key, restarting her car. There was no point on dwelling it now.

* * *

 _There is always going to be a slip up. Humans are imperfect. To say that you are perfect is flat out lie and sign of being an egotistical maniac. I thought I could keep two worlds separate. I thought I could will worlds to bend my will. Essentially, I thought I was a god, able to decide my fate by keeping two worlds separate._

 _How I was wrong. One slip up caused a crack, caused me to be pulled in multiple directions, cause me to lose what little control I had in my life. At that moment, I was scared. Terrified. However, looking back at it now, it was most likely one of the most defining moments in my life._

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Heyyyyyy guys I got a new chapter out! A lot sooner than expected as well.**

First **big announcement I want to make are a few shout outs for people to help me with** project **.**

Archereye **for all of** suggestions **on how to improve my writing**

Secretevil **for helping flesh out ideas.**

 **And well he doesn't have fanfic account, but he is going to be** huge **asset to the Forlorn team: Brando, one of my closest friends. So claps all around.**

 ***Cricket Sounds***

 **I think he's shy….**

 **So let's dig into this chapter shall we? I know this chapter was covering a lot of things in this chapter so hopefully it was easy to follow. I also realize Marching Band was pretty heavy, and I won't lie, it will be a heavy subplot in the story that shapes a lot of characters.**

Also, **we got to see a little bit of Qrow and Raven (yeah people are going to hate me for things that were implied, but it had to happen! I wanted to functional families lol) but who oh well…. Whats going on with Jaune he's wishy-washy….. Frustrating huh?**

 **Also Raven and Qrow are going to be playing a huge role throughout the story. As you figured they aren't canon so much. However, if we'll note they do have a serious streak at times. Also when it comes to people, they don't joke around. We can definitely see that when Jaune gets hurt. Raven though has a more overprotective nature, and doesn't like to take no for an answer lol.**

Hopefully, **you like the portrayals of the characters** I'm **going for. Don't worry Weiss, Cardin, Russell, and Velvet will be hashed out as well as the story goes on, but we have some idea right now.**

 **If you liked the chapter, had thoughts, or didn't like please let me know. I want to know what you think. I'll take ideas, suggestions, theories, questions, overall comments. It's all welcome here! If you thought something meh or liked or dislike a particular scene let me know. Anything helps.**

* * *

 **Alright review time now!**

 **AlNation: You already got my response! Lol just know no comment, *shrugs innocently* Thanks for the review as always.**

Convix **: Just so you know mate, it's a long haul (hope you don't mind) If it helps look at the forwards and** afterwards **, it'll help. There is a plot, but also think big picture ideas and themes, that'll help ya. Thanks for the review, hope I don't disappoint.**

 **Wes: Hey mate good to see ya back! You have ideas do ya? Well alrighty then, pm me what you think or leave a review… and yes there is some depression but there also be some happiness. You know home I am, I love my ups and downs.**

 **Thanks as always for reading!**

 **-** Lordxsauron


	4. Chapter 4: A Raven's Eye

**Chapter 4: A Raven's Eye**

 _Have you ever wondered what a person thinks when their phone cracks? We all know these people. Some look at a cracked screen and decide to replace the phone. Others choose to fix it on their own, while others want to throw the phone out altogether._

 _What happens when the person starts to break? I have dealt with this question several times. Individuals who knew me addressed this issue before. I can say with confidence that the same thoughts on the phones can be applied to human interactions as well._

 _As much as we don't want to admit, some people throw others away at the first sign of breaking, others try to fix the problem, some just try to replace you._

 _My natural attitude is that everyone would drop me like a rock as soon as there cracks forming. I did my best to cover it up, but sometimes you just can't. There will always be chinks in the armor. A crack in the dam, A hole in the wall. For those who help others through difficult times, you have my respect and admiration. I wish I had the steadfastness that you did. Maybe one day I will be able to live up to their kindness, to pay it forward as it were._

* * *

 _ ***SLAM***_

Raven pulled out her key and locked her car. She looked up at the sky, dark and gray. Ominous, It was the drastic opposite to her weekend. She always enjoyed the respite of weekends. Two days of decompressing, a time to not worry about anything… well besides grading.

However, not this weekend, grading never got done when it was a family weekend. It was worth it, having her friends and family coming together was always welcomed over grading. It allowed for her to catch up with her dear friend Summer. It was also a time to bond with her favorite, and to be honest, only niece. .

It was an enjoyable weekend, she remembered fondly as she swiped her id through the scanner. The door unlocked, allowing her entry. She made her way to the office to see Qrow leaning on the counter, fumbling with a pen in his hands, talking with the school's secretary, Glynda.

"Good morning Mrs. Branwen." The assistant nodded sharply, her tone harsh and strict. But for those who knew, she was a softy.

"Good Morning Glynda." She looked to Qrow. "Morning Qrow."

"Raven." He greeted back with a yawn. He wiped his eyes. "Monday's are just the worst. I swear I can't get enough caffeine, I need more coffee." He muttered as he went towards the teacher lounge with his sister trailing him.

"I swear you're going to drink yourself to death." Glynda shook her head disapprovingly

She checked her mailbox, no mail, and followed her twin to the lounge. She moved towards the sink, while Qrow was pouring himself a cup. "You're going to end up like Oobleck."

"I think after getting my Masters, I've developed a tolerance for caffeine." Qrow gave a faint smirk. "Besides, Ruby is a tad bit energetic for me. I swear she gets, even more, hyper every day." He deadpanned

Raven shook her head with a fond smile. "Yeah, well she clearly got that from her mother." She capped her bottle.

"Hey stop by after class, Summer made some cookies last night for all of you." He said as he made his way out of the lounge.

"Will do." She called out as she continued down to her room. She made her way down in the hallway smiling at the fact that she and her family were going to get cookies. One thing was true. Summer baked amazing cookies.

However, something darkened her mood ever so slightly as she descended the stairs to her room. Friday night was still in the back of her mind. The uneasiness settled in her mind, in her stomach. I'll have to check on him today, she thought to herself as she turned on the light.

She found her door open, thanks to the janitor, the lights off oddly enough. She stepped in, turning the lights on only to be startled.

There sitting in the far left corner in the room was Jaune in a green hoodie over his head. Raven stood there. "Jaune?"

No response. She moved towards them, taking light steps. She eased her way over, squatting down. "Jaune?" She gently shook his shoulder, which caused him to flinch away. She could note the bloodshot eyes and bags under his eyes. The wide eyes of a scared animal, the quivering lips of someone who had seen something that they can't forget. "Jaune what happened?"

"Are you hurt? Sick? Talk to me." Concern etched on her face as she placed a hand over her head.

"I'm fine." He got up from his desk, hood covering his face. "I don't need you to be my mom. Alright?" He limped out of the room, leaving a rather stunned and surprised Raven. She stood up and moved to her desk, sitting in the chair, leaning on the armrest, tapping her chin in thought.

Jaune didn't seem to be the type to lash out like that. However, his anger was unmistakable, the pain in his voice unforgettable. Something had to be going on at home. She lifted her head up, looking at the ceiling let out a sigh. She thought through her options. She could report her concern to the authorities, which wasn't enough concern, but that draw so much unwanted attention to Jaune, and she had a feeling that was something he wanted to avoid. She could do nothing, let things play out, which in reality, she couldn't do. She berated herself for thinking such a ridiculous thing.

*BING BING BING* Showtime. Great way to start a Monday.

Students began to file in. She kept her eye out for Jaune. They all filed in accept Jaune. _Where the hell did he go?_

*RING* *RING* *RING* She turned to her phone and picked it up. She picked up the phone in a tight grip, causing her knuckles to go white. "Hello?"

"Raven, this is Nurse Schaeffer, I have Jaune, here, he claims that he isn't feeling too well and resting right now."

"Alright, he's excused from class. I'll send someone to take his stuff up to him with work that he'll miss." She pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. She shouldn't have pushed him, her heart felt heavy with guilt. Yeah, she cared for all of her students, but sometimes, she came off as harsh. "Thank you." She hung up the phone.

She had an idea. "Class take out papers from last night, talk about what you wrote." She instructed the class, masking all personal attachment. Time for the professional. "Weiss, can I see you for a moment?"

The white haired girl, wearing a light blue blouse matched with a light blue skirt. "Yes, Mrs. Branwen?" She had an air of confidence to her.

"Weiss, could you do me a favor?" She nodded. "Would you mind taking Jaune's stuff up to the nurse and give him the work he's going to miss." Raven pulled out a binder pulling out a packet. "Also check on him. See how he's doing." She handed the packet to her which she took

"I can do that." Weiss nodded dutifully.

"Thanks, you don't need a pass, you can just go." She watched Weiss walk off, grabbing Jaune's books. She sat there for a moment collecting herself. She stood up, turning on the projector, making her way to the front of the class, planting one foot on the lower section of the stool.

"Good morning class." She scanned the room. "So I went through the tests…. And let me just say I'm extremely disappointed with the grades. I got two A's." She stopped for a moment, letting that sink in. "TWO." Her eyes drifted towards the two A students. However, both of them weren't in the room. Her attention shifted back towards the class. "Those essay questions were thirty percent of your grade."

She shook her head, voice growing lower. "I told all of you that answering the questions wasn't good enough. Most of you gave three or four sentences… I wanted paragraphs people. Just so that you know, I don't curb tests either. You keep what you earn."

She straightened up. "Alright. Let's start our new unit. English Colonization."

As she was teaching, Weiss reemerged about half way in the lesson, which earned her a subtle smile from Raven. However she did notice a few glares from her classmates, specifically Cardin and Russell. She would have to keep tabs on that.

She gave the class five minutes of free time as Raven went back to her desk.

"Weiss." She waved her finger, summoning her over to her. Weiss got up from her desk, Raven still noticing the subtle glares. "So how he is?"

She scrunched her brow as if choosing her words. "He's… not feeling well. He looked… out of it." Raven nodded as she covered her mouth casually, hiding the visible frown.

"Any particular reason?" She raised an eyebrow.

"He didn't say. He just said he had an upset stomach." Raven nodded absentmindedly.

"Anything else Ma'am?"

"Yeah." She swirled her chair to her desk. She pulled out a folder and unclipped two small packets. She handed the test back. "You were the one of the two A's on this test. You showed you knew the content and you went beyond the question which I can always appreciate." Weiss nodded appreciatively. She handed her another test.

"I should have had you take this down to him, but I forgot. Next time you see him, would you mind giving that to him?"

"Sure thing." Weiss smiled.

"Thank you. You can go." As if right on cue the, the bell rang.

* * *

 ***BING BING BING*** "Alright you're dismissed. Go. Shooo." She ushered the students out with a wave of the hand as she sat on her teaching stool. Two classes to teach got rather tiresome. It also didn't help it was Monday. It also didn't help with this morning. She turned off the projector as she made her way to her desk, grabbing her bag.

The one thing she did enjoy was having the same lunch as Qrow. Usually, the two would talk about new school policies that would interrupt their classes. They would also talk about music, how to address rough spots, discussing the work ethic of students. Heck, sometimes they wouldn't talk about anything, they would just enjoy each other's company. She got lucky getting a job at the same school as her brother, she wouldn't trade it for anything. She could go to him about anything. Rarely did she actually talk to him about her own problems, but knowing that her brother would always be there made things better.

However, something was just nagging her fiercely.

"Hey." Qrow greeted as he walked in, shoulders out front as if he were a bird as his name suggested.

"Come on in." She muttered, hand keeping her head up. Without a word, Qrow grabbed the stool and placed it by his sister's desk. He placed his bag on her desk and rummaged through it. He pulled out a can of soda, banana, and a peanut butter sandwich.

She absentmindedly grabbed her own bag, pulling out her own lunch. She placed it on her desk and leaned back in her chair.

"Whaphs upfs?" He asked with a mouth full of peanut butter and jelly. She turned to face him, as he cracked open his soda taking a drink.

"Manners?" She raised an eyebrow. "I swear you're worse than Tai." She took a motherly tone with her child of a brother.

He whirled his head back. "I resent that….." He gave a light chuckle. However, it faded when he still noted his twin was not smiling. "Rae what's up?" He looked worriedly at her.

She inhaled deeply, slowly exhaling slowly. She knew what Qrow was going to say. "Jaune…" He nodded, narrowing his eyes. "I found him in the morning, I don't know how long he was in here, but from the looks of it, it's been awhile." She took a brief pause expecting him to say anything. He just nodded. "I went to check on him, asked if he was sick or hurt…." She paused as Qrow put down his sandwich. His attention fully on her now. "I touched his shoulder causing him to flinch away. He stormed out saying that's fine and that I should stop caring." She frowned as she brought her hand up to cover her mouth in thought. Here it comes.

"Do you think something is happening at home?" His voice neutral, his eyes locked on to her.

She sighed. "I… don't know. The more I think about, the more it's pointing to it."

He straightened up, running his hand through his hair letting out a held breath. "What are you going to do about it…?" The question was left hanging in the air.

Raven sat in her chair looking at her desk. Silence reigned the room.

She tapped her desk in thought. She could notify the proper chain of command. She should do it, it was her legal duty. He would just end up like her and Qrow, perhaps in a better place, maybe in a worse place. No, she thought to herself. I won't condemn another one to that shitty existence.

"I don't know." She finally answered.

"You're not going to report it, are you?" Qrow narrowed his eyes.

"Are you?" She shot back hastily, almost glaring at him.

He shook his head "No, this is your call, bu you already know what I think." he crossed his arms.

She pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes. "I don't know. I don't know. I don't know." She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Do what you think is right. That's the most important thing." She opened her eyes, lips slightly quivering.

I-I just don't want to put him in the spot we were in Qrow. I wouldn't be able to live with myself…." She trailed off remembering the nightmare of him and her dealing with kids nagging, making fun of them, saying horrible things when the truth got out in the school. Raven had a few run-ins with the meat heads that dared to say anything to either one of them. Hell, she broke a kids arm for making Qrow cry.

Then there was the foster home. _No. stop. Don't bring that up._ _That's been dead for a long time. Keep it like that._

"So then don't." He said calmly as if it was a matter of fact.

"What?" She blinked.

"See what he wants to do. Let him decide." Raven sat there thinking about what he had just said. God, he's smart. She reflected with a smile. Raven had always been the more strong willed, stubborn Branwen. She thought with her heart more often than with her head. She didn't base decisions off of cost-analysis, she went with her gut feeling.

Qrow was the opposite, he took everything in before considering a decision, which at times made his decisions more cold and calculating, but were good in the long run.

She draped her arms around her twin pulling him into an embrace. "You're the best bro I could ever have."

Qrow shrugged in the embrace. "Yeah. yeah, can we eat now." Raven let go, rummaged through her bag, pulling out a container of hot sauce. She could see Qrow roll his eyes.

With a smile, she opened it up revealing a buffalo chicken wrap which placed on the lid. She took the hot sauce and poured a fair amount into the container. "Good god woman you're goin to destroy your mouth."

Raven gave a quick, playful shove. "Don't be jealous that I have better taste than you." Qrow cringed at the sight of her taking a bite of a buffalo chicken wrap dunked in hot sauce.

"Well, I'm sorry I don't enjoy destroying my insides." Raven chuckled. She always had an affinity for amazingly spicy food while her brother couldn't even tolerate salsa. After enjoying their meals, and Raven feeling slightly more at ease, Qrow tossed his bag in the trash can.

"I'll stop by before I head out." Raven called out, Qrow gave a thumbs up from the door as he left.

* * *

"So what the first English settlement in North America?"

Velvet raised her hand. She nodded towards the students. "Roanoke Island."

She nodded again confirming the answer. "What are some of the theories of colonies disappearance? Ms. Scarlatina?"

"Possible Spanish raid, Native attack, assimilation, or abandonment." She said confidently twirling her thumbs.

"All possible theories. So we know one person was paying attention today. I want a paper on why you think the colony disappeared and gave some evidence. Don't tell me an idea and give no support for it. That's an F in my book." She looked at the clock. "You guys have the last five minutes.

She moved towards her desk, sitting down in her chair, leaning back. Another day down. She hummed to herself as she looked at her students. They clustered up, talking, socializing. Others kept to themselves either reading or getting ahead on some homework. It was these moments where she could relax. She took out a water bottle and took a sip, enjoying a rather stressful day. Now it was just a matter of approaching this whole Jaune situation.

 ***BING BING BING***

Students got out of their desks and filed out of the room to enjoy the rest of their day.

"See you tomorrow Mrs. Branwen."

Raven snapped out of her daze, looking to see where the farewell came from to see Velvet.

"Have a good night Velvet." She responded amicably. With the Drum Major's departure, Raven was now alone in her room. What a long day. She sighed as she stood up stretching her back, feeling the rather pleasant cracks and pops. Qrow usually left an hour after school which meant she had about half an hour to do some quick grading.

She reached over one of the bins that had a pile of papers, paper clipped them together and got about grading homework. She read over each one but found that she had to read and reread the responses. She put down the paper she was reading, unable to focus. The one thing that was nagging her. When Should she approach him tomorrow, even after the scene earlier today? Should she wait or would it be too late?

She grunted in frustration. Deciding that grading would probably not get done now or tonight, she packed her bag, she grabbed her work binder while stuffing her lunch container back. She quickly zipped it up and drapped it over her shoulder.

She climbed the stairs and head down the hallway towards the bandroom. It was straight shot across the school. There Principle Ozpin was sipping on his ever-present coffee mug. "Good afternoon Mrs. Branwen."

"Mr. Ozpin." She nodded cordially. "I'll have the learning assessment on your desk by Friday."

Her boss nodded leaning on his walking cane. He readjusted his spectacles. "Whenever you get it in. There's no rush. I won't expect Mr. Port's or Peach's by the end of the month."

She got so lucky she has a rather laid back boss. "Still, it should be done by Friday."

Ozpin smiled humbly. "Thank you for the hard work as always." Raven nodded as she watched her boss stroll down the hallway twirling his cane. As she passed the office and the main atrium she could hear the oh so familiar sounds of quads being played specifically the introduction of the show "Rising Storm." Odd. Why would Qrow be playing that?

She turned to see her brother, whose legs were kicked up on his desk as he was grading a stack of papers. So then where was that sound coming from? She looked towards the back to see Jaune, who seemed to be in higher spirits than this morning.

Qrow looked at the door and gave a shrug. "He's not getting picked up until 5:30. He asked if he could stay here, I didn't have a problem with it."

*TAP* He shoved his sticks into the holster. He looked down at Raven. "I can go if you want, it's not a problem."

Raven shook her head with a small smile. "No, you're fine."

"Well now that you're here, would you mind watching over some things, I need to make some copies for tomorrow." He gave a sly smile.

Raven rolled her eyes. "Sure." Qrow jumped up grabbed his knapsack and left the room. It was just him and her. She decided to put down her own bag and take out her own sticks. Jaune was already tapping off and starting to play his part. She took a seat on the stool behind the podium. Listening in, she joined with the snare's part. They played in perfect unison.

Out of nowhere, Jaune slammed his stick down in frustration, the stick bouncing off and flying in the air. "I keep fucking up."

"It's okay. With more practice, you'll get it." She encouraged.

Jaune snorted. "Yeah. Not anymore."

Raven's brow scrunched up, she was starting to get annoyed now. "Why not?"

"I can't practice at home anymore." He moved towards the wall, sliding down. Raven got up from her stool and moved beside him. "I wanted to apologize for this morning. That wasn't very respectful."

She shook her head with a smile. "It wasn't but some people aren't morning people." She tried to lighten the mood. _Ask him now._

He fidgeted with hands, keeps his eyes on the ground. "Raven can I talk to you about something?"

* * *

 _I had a decision, and I made it. I took a gamble on someone, something that I had never done. Someone who could change the course of my life within a day. For some reason, though, I felt like I could trust her._

 _Sure she could be a hardass, but in a good way. I reacted harshly that morning, something which I still regret to this day, something that I will hold against myself until the day I die. I respected her as a strong person._

 _She was the first one to introduce me to something that I would come to love yet hate at the same time. I can say that meeting Raven, or Mrs. Branwen if you have her for class, was one of the most pivotal moments of my life. I know this sounds cheesy, but I looked up to her as a role model, Qrow would also hold that position as well, but I can say that Raven helped me break out of a world help me carve a new identity to make sense of a genuinely confusing world._

 _It's funny how people can change the world for you, open your eyes. I am so thankful I joined marching band, for being her student, for opening up to someone. To this day I still keep in touch with her and Qrow. I mean it helps with my job, but I still enjoy talking to her._

* * *

 **A/N**

Hey guys new chapter. Some I'm going to either get a lot of love or a lot of hate or some mehs. As you know this chapter focused heavily on Raven. I don't know if you all liked that or not, but she is a main character, so I thought it might be time to give her her some time in the spotlight.

Hopefully we saw what kind of person Raven is or at least, have a better understanding. Love it? Hate it? Let me know.

So yeah Raven is going to to have some major decisions huh? Just saw you know there is a procedure that you are supposed to follow, is she going to break the rules though? Why would should she? It also seems she and Qrow have some hardcore baggage as well. Huh.

Just so you know Chapter 5 will be focusing on Jaune during the same time as this chapter. It will be darker in nature. Just a friendly heads up.

So is Brando going to say anything this time?

BRANDO: _Hello I edit this story. this project is important to me even though I know nothing about Rwby (let the Flame wars begin hehehe) and me and Sauron hope that this story touches and give you the feels and helps people. And I am having fun being involved and editing_.

Sauron: Well said Brando…. There we are… a rwby scrub, but all of his hard work is extremely appreciated, however if you do find errors, please let me know, and I will try to fix them, we're only human after all. But thumbs up to Brando for taking time out of his busy schedule for helping. I should also mention that he's been instrumental in helping flesh out the story over all.

If you enjoyed the chapter please let us know. Tell me what you think, I love to hear from all of you. Thought it was good, bad, meh let me know. Thoughts, reactions, predictions, opinions, all that stuff, send it, we love it.

REVIEWS!

Renegade: Hey mate thanks for the review, it's always appreciated. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter lol. I think she's starting to get clued in. It's going to be even more clear by next chapter. I'm not saying but I'm saying.

AlNation: Hey mate thanks for the review. After going over it, ya I got that feeling as well. It was meant to illustrate that Jaune is playing two sides, that he siding with Cardin, feels kinda bad about it, and wants to make up for it without actually saying sorry. That was the goal.

Cpt. Lynx: Hey mate! It's been awhile! Always good to hear from ya! So Marching Band is supposed to be professional then the Spongebob episode lol. It's basically an almost paramilitary regimented thing with music and nothing to do with the military. It takes aspects from the military, marching in unison, following orders, acting like professionals, and being precise, and applying it to music. And trust me I'm looking forward to introducing Pyrrha, but it won't be for awhile saddly :(

Cabbage: Hey thanks for the review! I won't lie, this is my first time writing a high school AU, hopefully I'm doing it some justice. It's a rather different experience lol. I'm glad you are liking it so far, I hope I don't disappoint.

* * *

 ***P.S* Due to unforeseen circumstances all of my stories will be on a hiatus for about 2-4 weeks due to school projects being rearranged to take into an account a very probable strike, that being said, I now have 5 papers due next week and the week after that. (Which is going to set me back for another two weeks. I try to stay a week or two ahead of classes so im not swamped... but yeah... looks like not this time. lol)**

 **That being said, I need things to settle down before I get back into writing. Hopefully I'll find some time to write, but I'm not to sure. I figure I should give all of you the heads up. I'm sorry about the turn of events, if it wasn't for the strike, things would in a more stable arrangement. All of this being said, my time for writing will be severely limited.**

 **Thanks for reading, and I apologize for the short hiatus.**

-Lordxsauron


	5. Chapter 5: Seeds

Chapter 5: Seeds

 _Flowers, trees, and weeds all have one thing in common; they come from seeds. To think how a mighty oak tree comes from a small acorn, or a sunflower coming from such a small seed is one of nature's oddest tracks of evolution._

 _Animals are no different. To think that we are conceived as a few microscopic cells to end up being a complex organism only enhances the miracle of life that we often take for granted. So you may be asking: What's the point? What is the point of even thinking about seeds and how organisms grow?_

 _Well, ideas work the very same way. Someone can plant an idea in the back of your mind. Sometimes it will grow on its own. For others, it needs an outside force to act upon it. We may be against these new ideas and ways of thinking because it's outside of our comfort zone, but sometimes that is a good thing. However, there is a cautionary tale to this. Ideas can be good or bad; they may have the best of intentions, but they can be warped. It is our job, as gardeners, not to twist and deform these new 'flowers' into something akin to weeds, which is harder said than done._

* * *

 ***MONDAY MORNING***

Walking down the dimly lit hallway was refreshing to Jaune. He kept his green hoodie over his eyes. He shuffled down the stairs, turning the corner and headed down to Mrs. Branwen's class. He placed a hand on the handle, hoping that it wasn't locked. Apparently there was someone looking out for him as he pushed down on the door handle.

Not bothering to turn on the light, he moved over to his desk and slipped in, He put his head down, enjoying the silence slowly drifting into desperately needed sleep.

* * *

 ***SUNDAY NIGHT***

Jaune looked at his watch. He told his parents to pick him up at four… it was six now. Russell and Cardin continued to play Cardin's Xbox One. Another blood-curdling scream.

"Using the same damn move over and over again is cheating!" Russell threw down his controller in bitter frustration as Cardin slapped his knee in laughter. "Hey if it were, they would have removed it from the first game." He looked at Jaune, "You wanna do another round man? I think I pissed Russell off."

Jaune shook his head while looking at his watch "Nah keep playing, I'm going to head out now." He said as he went about packing his bag. Cardin raised an eyebrow

"Someone here?" He asked. It was at this moment that Jaune was so incredibly thankful that Cardin's room was in the basement.

Jaune nodded as Cardin shrugged. "Alright bro, I'll see ya tomorrow." He said as he went back to his game with Russell.

"See ya." Russell muttered as he picked up his controller.

"Get back to kicking your scrub ass." Jaune could hear his bigger friend say as he climbed up the stairs and headed back out the door. With a dark and angry heart, Jaune walked home again, after being promised that he would have a ride.

* * *

Exhaustion, anger, and bitterness were the only things that Jaune could think of as he climbed the stairs up to the porch. He opened the front door and slammed it behind him when he greeted with all too familiar aroma of alcohol.

 ***THUD!*** The door crashed behind him. Normally, he would have made sure to be quiet as possible when he closed the door behind him. However, he didn't give a damn right now, he was to tired and pissed to be thinking straight.

There was a crash in the kitchen. He moved to look into the living room, his mom typically passed out, didn't even budge. He could hear thundering footsteps approaching. That was when Jaune noticed that he screwed up. Now his father was a large man, tall and round, he was rather intimidating. Sober, he was a teddy bear, depending on his mood, he could even be a cuddlier teddy bear or a fiery dragon willing to burn the world out of spite.

And right now the dragon was coming to burn a village. "WHAT THE FUCK!" He looked at Jaune. Jaune could tell how this was going as he looked in his father's glazed over eyes, the stench of booze oozed from him.

"Sorry, I-"

"You fucking barge in here like you own the damn house." He plunged a sharp finger into Jaune's chest. "You freeloading piece of shit, all you do sit around, where the fuck were you all day!?" His voice a torrent of anger amplified by the alcohol coursing through his veins.

 _No fuck this. This is bullshit_ "You know I'd be home earlier if my parents weren't always drunk off of their asses every day." He stared down his drunken father. "You know… I'd like parents that would actually give a fuck about me. You know, having parents who actually go to my performances instead of being a bunch of alcoholics."

Jaune's father grabbed Jaune's arm and ripped the bag of his arm and threw up against the wall. "Don't you DARE talk back to me!" He growled as he rummaged through the bag pulling out the pair of drumsticks given to him by Raven. "You aren't going to be wasting your time with some _stupid_ band. You're going to stay at home and help around the house damn it!" He roared as he tossed the sticks back in the living room. "You're an ungrateful slob who should be thankful that he has a roof over his head! A ROOF I PROVIDE FOR! AND YOU SHOW ME NOTHING BUT CONTEMPT!" He then dragged Jaune by his already throbbing arm and tossed him into his room, slamming the door behind him.

Fuck this. I'm done with this place. He grabbed his gym bag and packed a set of clothes. He reached towards the door only to find the door slam open. His dad standing in front of him. "You're done with band. You waste your time with that stupid shit only to bitch and complain." He tossed the two drumsticks, now broken, on the floor.

"Fuck you." Jaune muttered staring at his sticks.

" _What was that?_ " His father growled. Jaune looked at his father dead in the eye, his anger becoming insuppressible.

"I hate you. You're nothing to me." He didn't expect the backhand from the older Arc which stunned him. "I hate you, I hate Mom, I hate this entire family. It's nothing but a fucking joke just like your drunken ass."

"I'M NOTHING TO YOU?! YOU SHOULD BE GRATEFUL THAT YOU WERE BORN!" He screamed as the older man grabbed his son by the arm and tossed him to the ground. "Just remember I keep you fed, not tonight. You want to eat now?! You work for it." He slammed the door behind him.

Jaune winced as he rubbed his sore shoulder. He could just run away. _Do it. Run, Get out of this hell hole_. He thought about it as he looked at his bag.

 _No fuck that,_ He reached for the phone in his room. He picked up the phone dialed the number.

"Hello?" A light-hearted, gentle voice answered.

"Hey Aub." Jaune cleared his throat, trying to compose himself as he sat down on his bed, hair hiding his anger.

"Jaune what's up?" The voice asked again, filled with more concern.

He let out a defeated sigh, "It happened again."

"Alright, this is what we're going to do."

* * *

 ***MONDAY MORNING***

"Jaune?" He felt a gentle shake which caused him to shoot up, his arm still stinging from last night. Being disturbed from his much-needed sleep was not a good thing, especially after having to deal with a shitty father. It also didn't help that he got up at five to walk to the school and be there at 6:30 while limping on a bad foot, dealing with a bummed shoulder.

He looked at his assailant being greeted by a blinding light, seeing red eyes being piercing out from the blackness of her mane of hair. "Jaune what happened.?" Her eyes, filled a bleak concern for him, made him sick. _Just stop._ He mentally screamed. He wanted to be forgotten; he wanted to simply not exist. Jaune never did well with attention. "Jaune what happened?" _Why in hell's name should I tell you? You shouldn't care about me._

"Are you hurt? Sick? Talk to me." The sincerity in her voice made him want to let it all out. _No, if you do, everything changes. Everything you know will be gone. Is it really worth it?_ Everything he had ever known taken away from him? No. He decided if he could bury it for fourteen years, what's another couple more years.

He stood up feeling like he was a caged animal, he needed to get out. "I'm fine." He stood up moving past Raven. He glared at her saying "I don't need you to be my mom, alright?" Even though she was better at it than his own mom, he didn't need another mom. He walked out of the room and limped towards the bathroom.

He went to the sink turning on the cold water. He splashed cold water on his face as he looked himself in the mirror. _I shouldn't have snapped like that._ He couldn't understand why he lashed out like that. It wasn't like he thought that. It was out of instinct, a pure reflex. He knew what he did was wrong. He knew he messed up, yet he still lashed out. Jaune didn't lash out like that, he was able to bottle stuff up, knowing that he slipped up made him sick to his stomach.

He dried his face with a paper towel, balled it up and thrown it out. He headed up the stairs and continued to walk down the hallway, each step causing him feel more nauseous as if he were actually sick. He finally reached his destination as he knocked on the door.

The door opened to reveal an average height man with brown hair matching his goatee, his dull blue eyes meeting Jaune. "Can I help you?"

"Mr. Shaeffer, I'm not feeling too good, I have a really bad stomach ache." He said as the old man leaned in closely examining Jaune He moved out of the doorway. "Come on in. Might as well get comfortable." Jaune moved in, finding his way to the recovery couch laying down on the recovery bed pulling up a blanket. Mr. Schaeffer walked in, dimming the lines, "Need anything, water? More blankets?"

Jaune looked over to the older man. "No thank you." Jaune turned over to his side and drifted back to a deep, dreamless sleep.

He felt a shake on the shoulder. Jaune groaned as his eyes adjusted to the light of the sunshine and two crystal blue eyes. "Hello Jaune." She greeted amicably with a small, dignified smile.

"Hey." He mumbled pulling the covers up to him. He noted how Weiss' smile quickly faded away, her lips "What's up?"

"Well, Raven sent me with your belongings and catch-up work. She said that you could take your time with them." She placed the small packet on the side table. "How are you feeling."

"Ehh alright." He whispered which caused Weiss to cross her arms, apparently displeased. "You know you don't need to lie."

"Who said I was lying?" Jaune said defensively pulling himself out of bed.

"I do, You look and sound rough, but you don't sound sick, you sound down in the dumps. What's wrong?"

 _Why is she even bothering to talk to me? I have been kind of a jerk to her. It really doesn't help I've been siding with Cardin and Russell in front of her._ "Nothing." Jaune said sharply. She pulled back slightly.

"That doesn't sound like nothing."

He had one eye peer over the blanket staring at the white haired girl. "Why do you even care? We aren't even friends." She sat back in the chair, cocking her head in thought. Jaune could see a very slight upward turn of her thin lips.

"I know what Cardin and Russell have said behind my back, in fact, I've grown up with bullies, I'm used to it, it also doesn't help that Velvet always manages to hear the two. I also realize that you are always with them, yet you don't say much." She noted inquisitively. "Now, I don't know what to think. It's clear that the two hate my guts, although I must, confess, I don't know what I did to them."

The smile quickly faded away. "There was that time I was sick, You didn't prove anything there by saying that Cardin should stay away from me, but you, yourself, helped me with loading up instrument…" She paused for a moment. "Almost as a way of apologizing…"

Jaune blinked, not getting where this was going. "So what?"

The smile quickly came back. "That makes me believe you aren't a terrible person or even an asshole like Cardin. And… I was hoping we could be friends."

 _Fuck. Fuck FUCKING SHIT._ "Weiss." He turned over to turn away from her. "I'm fine. Just go please." The defeat in his voice filled the room.

He heard a sigh of exasperation. "I know opening up is hard," He heard the chair being pushed back. "But sometimes you need to take a gamble. Not everyone is out for your blood Jaune." He mentally scoffed at that. _That might be true, but if the truth got out, I would be the outcast of the entire school, just like at home._ No, that is something Jaune would not allow to happen.

Yet it struck him to the core. He had never trusted anyone in his life. His parents were unreliable, his siblings were never there for him except for Aubry. However, he didn't talk to her that much, he didn't want to interfere with her own life, and yet here he is, barging into her life like a homeless man asking for change. He didn't need this right now. He shut his eyes trying to shove that thought down. He felt himself slowly drift off for a few minutes.

"Jaune." Jaune's eyes flashed open, he just wanted some sleep without interruption. "Do you need me to call home?" Mr Shaeffer leaned in the doorway.

Jaune's eyes widened as he immediately sat up, vigorously shaking his head. "No, I'm fine." He looked at the clock. He had about forty minutes till band he grabbed his bag and headed out the door. He walked down the hallway, debating if he should apologize to Raven or find Weiss.

Maybe Weiss was right, maybe he could start to open up to people. _No, that's dangerous._ He thought to himself, rumors would spread.

So maybe not be completely open. What if he found a hand few of people to open up to "No, the more people who open up, the more risk of something getting out." He muttered to himself. And yet that could happen at any second too… So what then, what should be do, He stopped himself from interrupting Raven's class, he decided to go somewhere else.

He headed towards the opposite side of the school. He knocked on the door to find Mr. Branwen with a pair of earphones in as he was looking over some papers. He knocked harder, he still didn't acknowledge. Getting flustered he kept on walking and tapped Qrow on the shoulder causing him to jump, ripped his headphones out of his computer causing neo-classical music to start playing through the room's surround sound system. He scrambled to turn it off, flailing around like a wild animal trying to lower the music.

The music stopped which made Jaune laugh while Qrow scowled at Jaune which quickly faded when he could tell who it was. "Jaune? What are you doing here? Class doesn't start for another half an hour."

"I wasn't feeling well." He offered questioningly as Qrow nodded slowly, tapping his sharp chin. "How many classes did you miss?" He asked as if he almost knew the answer.

"All of them." He said meekly.

Qrow looked him over for a brief moment simply shrugging. "Alright, I'll sign a pass for all of your classes then. Just make sure you get all caught up though. I don't want you to be on academic probation."

Jaune nodded as he made his way to his chair, deciding to lay down on all three enjoying the peace and quiet. He actually felt awake now, but the serenity was euphoric, silence was something was that he could appreciate.

 _People aren't out for your blood._

'Stop.' He thought.

 _Sometimes you need to take a gamble._

'No, too risky.' He could hear his heart bound he continued to think himself deeper in this maddening cycle of battling himself.

 _Jaune are you alright? Are you sick? Hurt? Talk to me._

 _I'm fine, I don't need you to be my mom._

'She cared about you. One of the very few to do so… and Weiss.' He felt a shift within himself

 _So what? That makes them even more dangerous._ A darker voice spoke out

'No. Just stop, you're being paranoid.' He countered.

 _Being paranoid got us through middle school. It kept us alive. Besides you were just being paranoid….I mean you were telling yourself it was to risky._

'FUCK OFF.' He screamed mentally. 'I don't need to be reminded how fucked up this is. I'll make amends…. Somehow… Maybe Weiss was right, maybe I do need to open up, but I'm not going to let my own paranoia screw with me.''

At that there was no more internal conflict. He promised that he would somehow make it up to them.

* * *

 ***BING BING BING***

Band let out as Jaune collapsed in his chair, not bothering to grab his bag from the storage room. "Hey Jaune, we'll be online if you wanna hit us up on some CoD." Cardin offered.

Jaune shrugged. "Meh, we'll see how I feel." Cardin nodded as he left the band room while shoving Russell. "You're such a scrub." He chastised the green haired mohawk boy. He could tell that Qrow was looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "Jaune." He looked at his watch. "You know the bus leaves in like five minutes right?"

"Yeah…." He rubbed his arm nervously. "Uhhh…. I'm getting picked up, is there anyway I can just... hang out here?" He asked hesitantly.

Expressionlessly Qrow nodded. "Sure, you can break out the quads if you wanna get some practice in."

"Thanks." Jaune thanked him warmly. He towards the back of the band room, into the storage space and opened up the quad case. He grunted as his sore elbow protested slightly, but with renewed vigor, he carried on. He set up the quads on it's proper stand and began to tap off.

 **TAP tap tap tap TAP tap tap tap TAP tap TAP tap TAP TAP TAP TAP** He mentally zeroed in the show music. Drum head 4, 4, Right hand to 2, Left hand to 3, Left to 4, Left to three as Right as to one then back two while left still on three. Criss cross the hands. ***CRACK*** He missed the drum head and hit the rim of the drum. _Focus and do it again._

He tapped off again repeated the part, successfully smiling as he continued on, he tossed his stick up in the air as he grabbed it twirling it around, his grip loosened up as the stick was sent flying across the room. Qrow chuckled as he watched from the corner of his eye. Sloppy. Do it again.

He tapped off again, repeating the same rhythm. Tossed the stick up in the air, and missed the catch. With frustration, he reached down and repeated and missed, repeated and missed, repeated and missed. Jaune tapped off again as he noted a familiar black haired teacher walk in. Qrow looked over casually. "He's not getting picked up until 5:30 He asked if he could stay." He shrugged. "I didn't have a problem with it." Shit. Jaune thought to himself. He see could Raven looking him over.

 ***TAP*** Jaune shoved his sticks into the holster. He looked down at Raven. "I can go if you want, it's not a problem." He did his best to hide his inner turmoil. He couldn't tell if it worked as Raven shook her head with a small smile.

"No you're fine." She said with sincerity. Qrow stood up. "Well now that you're here, would you mind watching over some things. I need to make some copies for tomorrow?" He asked with a smirk.

"Sure." She said almost sarcastically as if knowing she didn't have a choice. Qrow grabbed his bag and headed out of the room. Raven dropped her own bag and pulled out a pair of sticks. She waited for a moment, and started to play the snare's part in perfect unison. He caught the stick brought it smashing down on the drum head. _TOO SLOPPY_. The drumstick was sent flying into the air. "I keep fucking up." He breathed in frustration as he leaned on the tennors.

"It's okay. With more practice, you'll get it." Her voice offered optimism and hope. Yeah, not anymore. He mentally corrected. A moment of silence creeped into the room.

"Yeah…. Not anymore." Jaune snorted back, not looking at his instructor.

"Why not?" He could tell she was starting to get annoyed by the tone in her voice.

 _Do it._

 _Don't do it._

 _Do it._

 _Don't._

 _Do it._

 _Fuck._

"I can't practice at home anymore." He cracked, he moved towards the wall sliding down. He could hear the screech of the stool moving. He could hear the footsteps. He looked over to see Raven on the floor beside him. Why is she doing this? He kept on questioning her. I shouldn't be anything to her. "I wanted to apologize for this morning. That wasn't very…. Respectful." He admitted as he glanced over to her.

She smiled. "It wasn't but some people aren't morning people." Jaune sensed she wanted to ask him something. He also began to fidget, his hands were getting sweaty.

"Raven can I talk to you about something?" He asked as he looked at the ground.

"Sure." He could tell she was watching him intently.

"I don't know if I can be in band anymore." He let out a sigh of defeat.

"What?!" She said almost startled. She cleared her throat as she could see that Jaune flinched away. "Sorry, but I thought you enjoyed it."

Jaune looked at her, eyes starting to get misty. "I do. Honestly, I don't know what I'd do without it, but it might be out of my hands."

Raven hummed to herself as she tapped her chin. "I don't want to jump to conclusions, but Jaune did something happen?"

Jaune brought his hand up to his, shutting his eyes tightly. _Damn it. She knows something. If you tell her, you might mitigate some of the damage._ "Yeah. Raven I don't want you to judge me for what I'm about to tell you…" He trailed off.

He could feel a hand on his shoulder. "I won't, I promise." He felt safe with the resolve in her voice. _Well, fuck it._ "It started last night with…."

* * *

 _That day Weiss suggested something I was never accustomed. It sounds childish saying it outloud. "I was hoping we could be friends." We often don't go out of our way to actually say that outloud. That is such a forward thing to ask in today's society, but often there is no mistaking the meaning of the words. There is gray zone in those words, or so we believe. Rather straightforward._

 _However, that wasn't what got me. "I know opening up is hard, but sometime you need to take a gamble. Not everyone is out for your blood." Those words shook me with the combination of wanting to be friends. It hit me like a train and yet I turned her down. I did not want to take the gamble, the seed had not taken root just yet but the seeds were there, that was no mistake._

 _I can say confidently that if it wasn't for Weiss planting that seed, my life would have turned so much differently. And for that, no matter where we stand, I will always be thankful to Weiss even to this day._

 _It was Raven, who sat me down, that helped clear the air, to plant the seeds, to make sure they took root. I still do not know why I told her, why I opened up to her. Maybe it was the fact that she was the closest thing I had to the role model at the time. Or maybe it was just the wrong place at the wrong time. I don't know why she took an interest in me until she told later on. However I can say that during that day, I made steadfast friends._

 _They say that you should repay kindness with kindness. That is much harder to do living in the moment, but upon reflection, it is easy to be reminded of past kindness and longing memories. Things may never go back to how they were, but you pay it forward in memory of past acts of kindness._

* * *

 **Hey guys!**

 **I'm back! Hell week is done…. For now…. xD So What do you guys think so far? Meh, bad, good, alright? Idk, feels meh to me. Also what do you guys think of the intros and outros? Let me know Have suggestions, questions, reactions, predictions, opinions, theories, want to talk about meaning of life? Leave a review or a pm. We love to hear from all of you. If you are so inclined, leave follow and fav, it's always appreciated as well!**

 **Also, I'm thinking about shifting around to different perspectives occasionally. This primarily about Jaune and will stay like that, but having a few scenes with different characters to add more perspective? Let me know what you guys thinks, all feedback is welcomed.**

 **So here it is: Jaune is starting to open up, key word partially, obviously he doesn't want to let it all out, but it a step, and because of Weiss and Raven, those two are amazing keep it up… Also tell me what you think of the characters so far, it always helps out too. Obviously they just kinda met, so we are going to be developing them more and more as the story continues forth.**

 **Oh and Jaune's parents seem like dicks right? Remember things aren't as always clear cut.**

 **Oh guess what… We got another member of the forlorn team….. Shaded… such a newb.**

 **Does Brandon have anything to say?**

 _ **Brandon: What are you do here Pinche Boy there is no filthy french**_

 **Sauron: What are you do here Panky Poo?**

 _ **Brandon: I wish I could use Australian slang words :(**_

 **Suaron: You have great powers! I must know of these powers… the hell is even going on here anymore. Just goin to nope out.**

 _ **Brandon: You don't know the power of the dark side**_

 _ **Brandon again: I did it for Harambe**_

 **Sauron: LMAO, you're done, I'm cutting you off now. *CENSOR BEEP***

 **And does shaded have anything to say?**

 **Shaded: well… this is an interesting A/N thing**

 **Sauron: Welcome to sheer stupidity that is Brandon and I combined.**

* * *

 **Reviews!**

 **Lynx: BUDDDY! So good to see you again! I always love seeing a review from you mate! So yeah… hell week is over… hopefully lol. I can say is no comment on either statements XD. I'm glad you are liking the story mate, and Idk, sometimes I feel like the emotions aren't really there, but that's for the individual reader to decide, but I'm glad you like my writing lol.**

 **Nild: Well hi there! I'm glad you like the story, and hopefully, I have more time to keep writing now that things settled. Thanks for the review.**

 **Posh (Ch2): I'm glad you like the story, hopefully I don't disappoint.**

 **Thanks for reading, it's always truly appreciated!**

 **-Lordxsauron**


	6. Chapter 6: Intention

**Chapter 6: Intention**

 _They say that family is the most important thing to the individual experience. On a fundamental level, families help us to grow into mature adults. They are supposed to show you the rights and wrongs that follow acceptable behavior within society. They are expected to socialize you to conform to the standards of society._

 _Those are the social aspects of family. We obviously know that there is more to family than that…. Or at least there should be. We are expected to love our family unconditionally, and in return, they are supposed to love us unconditionally. We are expected to feel safe within the family. They are supposed to protect us as we are supposed to protect them. There is a give take relationship. One thing is true though, society expects you to love your family unconditionally._

 _However, what happens when there is none of this? Should we still love our family unconditionally? Should we still be able to forgive and forget trespasses? Again these are not things I try to answer, these are up to the individual._

* * *

Raven sat there, her mind filled with so many questions. His story was heart wrenching, the shit he had to go through. As he told the story, she could tell he was getting caught up, eyes watering, throat choking up, a tear falling here and there. _Why._ She asked herself. _Jaune was a good kid, and yet he was thrown a real shit hand._

Jaune brought his knees up to him, not saying anything as he tried to wipe away what few tears he actually noticed, breathing heavy as he did so. "That's it. I'm sorry Mrs. Branwen."

"Raven." She gently corrected. "How's the shoulder? The ankle?" She eyed his ankle, frustrated that they needed to be checked on in the first place, but refused to let it show. She mentally berated herself for not asking in the morning.

"Ehhh…. It's sore but I'll manage." He rubbed his shoulder. Raven eyed the blonde sympathetically. The medical issue was addressed, briefly. Now it was time to focus on an entirely different matter. The two fell in silence sitting there as Raven debated how to proceed.

"How often?" Raven asked.

"Hmmm?"

Raven pinched her nose trying to calm her temper. She could feel the anger bubbling up which she tried to push down. She wasn't mad at Jaune, far from it. No, she was angry with this whole predicament. "How long has all this been going on."

A moment of silence settled over the room then a hollow voice let out. "All my life." Raven looked forward staring at the blackboard, hand balling into a fist as her temper began showing even more. "Before you say anything. I love him; I love her. They're really good people when they're sober. It's just rough seeing them out of it."

Raven nodded, understanding all too well. "Jaune…" was the only thing she whispered, shaking her head.

Another moment of silence as she thought to herself, _So incredibly similar. Here goes nothing._

"I need you to listen to me carefully." The blonde boy looked at her. "I can get you out of this. I'm going to give you a choice I was never given. If you want, I can notify the proper authorities and get you out of there." She watched him as the color drained from his face. "You would be placed in foster care, close or far away from here, everything would change…. Or… we could pretend this conversation never happened. However, I want to stress this; you can come to me at any time to talk to me. You aren't the only one who experienced things like this." She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, sighing as her need to help overrode her emotional state. "I'm always here for you. Remember that."

Jaune sat there looking at his instructor, his teacher. The person before him was not the hardass or skilled trainer, no it was someone different. Her sincere smile, the warmth in her eyes, her confident hand. He felt safe, comfortable. "What would you do, given the choice?"

Raven sighed withdrawing her hand. "Honestly I don't know. I ended up in a worse spot than before, but I had Qrow." She paused for a moment. "Do you love your family?"

Jaune nodded hesitantly. He wanted to scream no, fuck no. However, something compelled him to say yes. "I can't say you should or shouldn't do it, but if you change your mind…" Jaune nodded. Jaune reached hugging Raven tightly.

"Thank you, Raven."

She froze. She couldn't comprehend why she was opening up to the boy. She was supposed to take a professional approach; there were rules for these kinds of things. Yet here was this boy confiding one of the hardest secrets anyone could bear. She patted his back reassuringly. While she did care for her students, but red tape be damned, those stupid rules and regulations were not going to ruin another life. If it costs her job, then so be it. "Any time Jaune." She patted his back. As Jaune pulled away. "What are you going to do? Are you go to head home."

"No, I have the next couple of days already figured out."

Raven nodded as she got up and went over to Qrow's desk and took a piece of paper and grabbed a pen as she wrote on it. She went back to Jaune handing the slip of paper. "Listen, that's my number, you need anything or just need to talk, don't hesitate to call me. Just make sure not to hand out that number. Alright?"

Jaune nodded as he took the piece of paper in his hand looking down at the paper. _Why can't all people be like you,_ He thought bitterly to himself as he looked at the paper. That moment, Jaune felt something strange in him. Something he hadn't felt in a very long time, something that scared him, yet reassured him. It was something odd, hard to describe. Simply put, it was a bond between himself and Raven. A bond that showed that she did legitimately care about him and was willing to help him out with anything. _But why though? She said she ended up in a worse spot than me. Is it because of pity? Does she pity me?_

"Raven, Why are you doing this for me?" He asked suspiciously.

She rubbed her chin in thought trying to think of the best thing to say. "Jaune, you're a good kid. One of the best and brightest kids I had ever had in my class. You also had a lot of stuff happen to you to make you, well… you." She paused for a moment, slowly taking in a breath and exhaling. "I've seen some serious shit. Shit that no one should see, so has Qrow, and yet we pulled through. You know what I see in you?" She asked.

 _A weakling, a coward, a piece of shit._

' _Shut the FUCK UP!' He mentally reprimanded himself._

He just shook his head. "I see a young me. Someone who was forced to grow up too early without the support of family, I assume?" _How does she know?! I mean I have family._ Yet Jaune's siblings were all out of the house and barely kept in touch. Except for Aubry, and that is pushing it. He was forced to grow up himself. He nodded.

"Well, it's just good to know that you have the support of someone who went through similar things. Like I said, I'm here for you, whatever you need." She pulled out another pair of drumsticks and offered them to Jaune.

Jaune just stared at her and the sticks. _She pities you. She feels sorry for you._ The dark voice returned

' _No, she wants to help me because she cares about me.'_ He reminded himself

 _Because she pities you. There is no difference._ The voice almost laughed at him

' _There IS. NOW GO AWAY._ '

"Take them." She gestured warmly.

"But the last pair…." He said hesitantly.

"Jaune. Take them." Raven gestured again. He reached out taking them into his hand as if they were a rare artifact from a long-dead society.

"Aren't you afraid they'll be broken again?" He sounded unsure.

She chuckled. "It'll be fine. You need to be able to practice. In fact…" She stood up, running down the tiers to her own bag, retrieving something, then running back up. "Here you go." She offered.

He looked at her disbelievingly. "What? Why?" He asked.

"Take the drum pad, I have a bunch." She handed to him which he graciously accepted.

"I don't know what to say…. Thank you."

"Not a problem, although I would recommend using the softer side, I don't want you to get into trouble." He nodded in agreement. "Now, who is picking you up? Are you going home."

Jaune shook his head. "No, I'm going to be spending a few nights with one of my sisters. She should be here any minute."

"I'm glad to hear. Like I said, if you need anything, please don't hesitate." Raven handed him a hand and helped him up to his feet. Jaune nodded and collected his backpack and slipped the drum pad into the bag. He didn't know why, but he felt compelled to wrap his arms around Raven embracing her as if she were a long-lost family member. "Thank you, for everything." Raven lips arched upward as she returned the hug. She could see looking up a Qrow, standing in front of the band room, himself having a smile. "Anytime. Now get, I don't want you to keep your sister waiting." Jaune let go and headed out of the band room noticing a smiling Qrow. "Have a good night Jaune."

"You too Qrow." He followed up as he left the band room. Raven sat down, resting her head on interlaced fingers.

"How'd it go?" Qrow asked.

"Good. Hopefully…." Raven trailed off.

* * *

He walked out towards the parking lot seeing the red Ford Escort parked. Jaune should be happy seeing his sister. It had been at least a month, but he couldn't bring himself to smile. He moved to the passenger side of the car opening up the car, as he could tell his sister smiled. "Hey there bud." She greeted with a friendly smile.

"Hey Aub." He said neutrally as he climbed, placing his bag on his lap and slamming the door closed. She started the car, backing out of the parking spot and putting it in drive. "So what's up?" She asked as she started to drive towards her apartment, two major towns away, in between forests and farmland.

"You already know." Jaune said as he looked out the window.

"Well yeah… but I want to hear it from you." She looked over at him concernedly.

"There's nothing to tell…." Jaune rested his head on the window. "He got drunk, there was a fight."

"Did he hurt you?" The question hung in the air. Silence blanketed the two as the car radio played. She gave a quick look over. "Did he-"

"No, of course not." He snapped back. This was a mistake. He thought to himself as he balled his hand into a fist.

"Jaune you don't have to lie. I'm here to-"

"I said I'm fine. I just need to get out of the house." He muttered. At that, the two sat in awkward silence, only the car engine breaking the awkward silence between the two estranged siblings. The car drove through the forests and hills of Colonel Fenning National Park, the park where his family used to spend afternoons camping, hiking, and when the family was still together. He let out a sigh, watching the sign fade away as if a brief glimmer of a fond memory was being plucked out of his mind.

They passed through several miles of farmland until they entered the suburban community of Camp Hill. Going through the numerous apartments and small shops they stopped by a small two-floor apartment building. Aubry got out of the car as Jaune followed suite behind with his backpack. Aubry held open the door as Jaune wordlessly entered, the two climbed the flight of stairs where Aubry unlocked the door.

"Make yourself at home, I'll make some dinner. Scooter should be here around a half an hour or so."

"Thanks." He said chillingly as he sat down on the long "L" shaped couch, sinking into the seat, enjoying the softness. He just wanted to lay down and fall asleep, he was tired and exhausted. He didn't know how he was still functioning.

The apartment was not of substantial note. It was an old building, old gray shaggy rug covered with stains, wall covered in drywall. The living room was cramped, with the L couch taking up a majority of the room. On a small glass stand sat a decently sized flat screen. Connecting the room was a hallway that led to the bathroom, bedroom, and guest room converted into work room. The kitchen was separately connected to the living room.

He could smell the aroma of bacon and burgers being cooked. It was clear that one thing his sister remembered was his favorite foods. After not eating dinner last night, having no breakfast, and sleeping through lunch, it smelled absolutely heavenly. The crackling of bacon sounded like fireworks, the sizzling of grease sounding like an orchestra of beauty.

The door opened up to reveal a tall, somewhat large, semi-muscular man with bronze hair matching his bronze beard. "Hey Jaune. How's it going."

"Hey Scooter." The blonde muttered, not bothering to look at his sister's fiance. He plopped down beside Jaune, placing a small wrapped package between the two. Jaune looked at it questioningly. His sister came out with two plates which a juicy bacon burger oozing cheese with a mound of fries.

She gave a plate to Jaune and another to Scooter. "Aww thanks honey. How was your day?" He asked as Aubry gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Pretty good, how was yours."

"Good." He smiled back fondly. Jaune rolled his eyes his plate sat on his lap looking zoned out while Scooter turned on the t.v. Aubry came in sitting down beside her little brother, eyes looking over him filled with concern.

"Scooter did you get it?" She asked trying to start conservation. He put his plate on the table. He picked up the box and held it to Jaune. What? What is this? He placed the plate also on the table. "It's yours." Scooter said with a friendly smile as Jaune, without a word, he took the box, opening it up.

"Think of it as an early Christmas present." His sister said with warmness and fondness that something that Jaune couldn't connect with. He looked at the box, then back to Aubry then to Scooter, who were both smiling at him looking at him expectantly. He looked down at the box, hands practically trembling. He opened the box to pull out his first ever phone, specifically a smartphone. He couldn't stop his hands from trembling, he gripped onto the box for dear life.

"In case you need to get ahold of us." Aubry gently laid on hand on trembling brother. He looked at her questioningly. "We put you on our plan, so you won't have to pay." Scooter chimed in.

"How much?"

"How much what?" Aubry raised an eyebrow, shifting her body to face him.

He stared at the phone in his hands with a strange feeling overtaking. His stomach lurching. _Now they want to keep in touch? Now they feel guilty?! NOW THEY CARE?!_ He inhaled deeply, steadying his trembling. "How much does the extra line cost?" He mentally cringed hearing the sharpness.

"Don't worry, it's a gift. We'll pay for the line." Scooter smiled reassuringly while looking as his fiancee worriedly, their eyes met.

"Just let me pay." _I don't need you to look after me._ "Please." He almost pleaded, still not able to look at them.

"It's twenty dollars a month." Scooter answered noting that his love was wrinkling her brow, clearly now happy over the coldness of her brother and him relenting.

"Cool." Jaune stood up, turning around to face his sister. "I think I'm going to head to bed." Aubry stood up as he noted that Scooter went to take a sip from his cup, hiding the frown on his lips. Jaune felt his sister wrap her arms around him, bringing him into a hug. _A little late for this,_ He bitterly thought to himself as he just stood there, arms at his side. His sister broke off.

"Get some sleep. You need it." Jaune nodded as he headed down the hall and into the guest room. He sat on the futon looking at the new phone in his hand. This doesn't make up for the years you left me behind in that godforsaken hellhole. His grip tightening around the phone to be where his knuckles turned white.

He inhaled deeply, trying to settle his nerves. Anger doesn't solve anything, you're just tired and exhausted. He exhaled slowly, steadying himself. He looked at the phone, figuring he might as well put it to good use. He turned on the phone and ran through the basic installation process. After a few minutes of tinkering, the phone was ready. He took out the paper that was crumbled up in his pants. He unballed it and entered Raven's number as a contact. Should I? He hesitated. I should.

He tapped the contact and went down to send message.

 _J: Raven, this Jaune. Letting you know this is my number._

After a few minutes his phone vibrated. _R: Hey Jaune. Everything alright?_

 _J: Yeah, just wanted to say thanks._

 _R: Not a problem, everything will look up._

Jaune couldn't but scoff as he rolled his eyes at the message. At that he decided to leave his teacher alone, she did have a life after all. He felt his eyes grow heavier and heavier as he laid on the futon. He could help but smile yet feel a little resentful. A stranger, a teacher, jumped in to help him unconditionally more than anyone in his family. That was beyond fucked up to Jaune. However, Jaune was still thankful that someone jumped in none the less.

* * *

 ***TUESDAY***

Jaune felt the rays of sunshine cracking through the shades of the room as his eyes opened up. He looked at his phone. Shit. He slept in. More importantly, no one woke him up. He noted one miss call, but that wasn't important right now. He rushed out of bed to be greeted by the note on the door. Mom and Dad are coming by please don't be mad. Please don't be mad- Aubry.

 _Don't be mad. Don't be mad. DON'T BE MAD?!_ He ripped the paper off of the door shredding it up violently as he stomped through the apartment throwing the paper. No this was utter betrayal. It was just one day. One day and his sister left him out to dry.

 ***KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK***

He rolled his head back whispering "Shit." He closed his eyes, standing still, mentally bracing himself for the fight that was coming. Let's get this over with. He walked over to the door, lifting his trembling hand up and grasping the door knob. With an almost defeated sigh, he opened the door.

He felt two arms instantly lurch out and grab him embracing him in a hug. "JAUNE!" His mother, Josephine Arc called out, her slightly graying blonde hair draped over eyes. "I WAS WORRIED SICK!" She embraced him tighter. For her petite and frail looking form, she had the strength of a bear.

"Honey, we probably shouldn't be out here…." Jaune instantly flinched at the voice. The deep, baritone voice that could only come from his father, Anthony Arc. Still feeling the embrace of his mother, Jaune squeezed his eyes shut hearing the voice as if to ward him away. He opened only to see his father looking at him, who was deeply saddened, with his mouth being pulled downward as if weights were holding them down, his shoulders sagging.

"Of course." She broke away, ushering Jaune back into the apartment, followed by his father who closed the door behind him. Jaune sat on the far side of the couch while his parents sat on the other side.

"Jaune we were worried sick about you." His mother voice matched the anger in her eyes. "We thought something happened to you."

 _It's not like you would care when you're plastered._ Jaune stared blankly at them, staring at them, frozen as if he was a statue.

Anthony let out a defeated, almost exasperated sound, shaking his head, looking at the ground. "Jaune, I'm so sorry. There is nothing that can excuse my behavior. I didn't mean anything I said."

 _Bullshit. Bull FUCKING SHIT._ He nodded, still impassive as ever.

"I just had a rough day at work and I needed to unwind."

 _Unwind by getting drunk?! Unwind by abusing your son?_ "I took my frustration out on you, and I shouldn't have done that." The pleading eyes were almost too much to make Jaune feel sorry for him. To be able to forgive him. However, this was not different. "I'm so sorry. Can you please forgive me, forgive us?" He dropped to his knees looking up at his son, hands intertwined. _A new ploy?_ Jaune thought cynically.

"Please…." He practically groveled at his feet, his voice cracking. "Say something-anything."

 _Pathetic. You brought this on yourself._ He mentally spat.

' _He's sorry, just let him be.'_

 _Why should I? I should be enjoying this moment._

' _Well isn't that fucked up? Don't turn into your father.'_

 _Don't turn into your father._

The thought resonated in him. As if it struck chord, a tuning fork, it reverberated throughout him. He straightened himself out. He looked at his father on the ground before him, practically begging. His mother eyes were filled with tears.

"Alcohol." He said coldly. His looked right at him, as if not getting the meaning. "Get rid of it. Stop drinking…" He looked at his mother coldly. "Both of you." He narrowed his eyes.

"Yes. Yes. Yes. We can do that!" Anthony took his son's hands into his hand. "We can do that, we'll stop drinking. Just please don't be mad at me- us."

Jaune wanted to scream at the two. Begging for forgiveness, it made him sick. His parents shouldn't have to beg for his forgiveness. Usually, it was the child who did something wrong who would then have to apologize, but in this strange universe, it was the other way around.

"Jaune, I promise I'll stop." His mom stood up and made her way over to him, hugging him as if he was a life savior. His father joined in hugging him. Maybe there was still hope. He thought to himself. For once, he felt hope, that things may end up better, heck, even improve That people could be sincere, that people could keep promises.

* * *

 ***TUESDAY AFTER SCHOOL***

Raven sat at her desk, grading her papers. Such a time-consuming thing, but it was something that kept her focused. She couldn't help but to worry. Jaune wasn't in class today, which she would think nothing of it. However, things just didn't add up. He goes missing after confiding to her, after being picked up by his sister.

When she and Qrow pulled the same stunt of running off…. _No, block it out. Don't remember any of it._ However, it was something that she couldn't stand to let happen to Jaune. She knew she had crossed so many lines and rules that she could be fired. However, this was for the welfare of a student. A student she cared about. She heard footsteps down the hall, and was greeted by an unhappy Qrow.

"Still no word?" He asked gloomily, leaning in the doorway.

She ran her hand through her hair to soothe her nerves. "Nothing." She finally confirmed, the worry filled her answer. Qrow slowly straightened himself out, walking towards his sister.

He moved towards the back of the room, sitting on a student desk facing his sister, silence between the two, as Qrow looked at the chair his feet were resting on, deep in thought. In a way Raven could tell that he cared just as much for Jaune as she did, he just never lets on.

Raven brought a hand up to her mouth, hoping it would cover up the worry in her voice. "I…. just hope it doesn't end up like what happened to us…." She trailed off.

Qrow looked up, looking rather annoyed, his hands stuffed in his pocket hiding his balled up hands. "Listen. I'm sure he's fine."

"Qrow, he wasn't here…"

Qrow rolled his eyes. "Kids get sick, kids miss school after big things, this is no different. Our situation was different, he's fine."

Raven let out a sigh as her phone vibrated. She pulled it out of her bag. Three missed messages.

One from Taiyang asking if she could stop by and pick up some cheese for the spaghetti he was making. Such a clown, but a clown who can cook. 'Can do.' She texted back.

A message from Yang asking if Raven was still able to pick her up from her soccer match. She quickly texted 'Of course.'

A message from Jaune. Her heart froze, did something terrible happen. She quickly read it.

J: Sorry I wasn't able to make it school today, I had some family stuff. I won't be able to make it to practice. I won't actually be in school till Friday.

 _Had some family stuff happen?_ The worry overruled her common sense. R: Everything alright? After a couple of nail-biting minutes, a response came back.

J: Yep, Looks like I'm going to be in the band still. Parents said they're done drinking. Raven, thank you for everything.

She straightened up in her chair, rather surprised. R: Not a problem, glad to hear. Let me know if you need anything. She put her phone down to be greeted by a Qrow leaning in staring at her expectantly, she noticed she was smiling unintentionally. It was good to see one of her students finally piece things together. Things were starting to look up for Jaune. "He's doing well, he won't be able to make it to practice though."

"Not a problem." Qrow leaned back, hands behind his back releasing the stress. "I'm glad to hear everything is working out for him. Really glad to hear." Qrow said as he stood up and made his way to the door.

Raven nodded sincerely as she packed her bag, internally relieved. "I'll meet you in the band room in ten minutes."

* * *

 _I want to raise a valid point. Good intention. My family had good intentions. I can respect that looking back, am I thankful? That remains to be seen. I had to deal with the same things my siblings had gone through. The only difference, they had each other. I was the youngest, By the time I was ten, I understood how truly alone I was. Aubry was going to graduate that year and be moving in with her Fiance. The rest of my sisters were out living their lives, barely keeping in touch. Looking back, I can only assume it was to bury the past. At the time, it felt like they wanted to bury me with it._

 _My parents, God bless them, made my life a living hell. They truly loved me, but alcohol tends to throw wrenches into things, especially when your parents are alcoholics. They had good intentions that day to give up alcohol in order to save their son, to have him return home._

 _Raven, that is an odd case still. She had the best of intention and she followed up with them on a consistent basis, still a stranger willing to reach out. She reached out, a stranger, as if she was a family member and I was a member of her family._

 _Others would come and go with the best of intentions. A cautionary tale: Good intentions can only go so far, for they must be followed up by action._

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hi guys! Got a new chapter here! Hope you all like it.**

 **So I know you guys might be thinking…. Well gee that was quick of his parents to come back? True, but let's keep in mind, that they are very good, caring parents when sober. So when they find out that Jaune isn't around, they start asking around. Aubry, being a kind hearted person, and wanting to reunite the family, would be like I got him…**

 **So I'm excited, next chapter will be mainly Weiss, and it'll be during a football game where we will see some character development along with Velvet, and some relationship building between Jaune and Weiss. After that, we have a two parter to mark the half way point of Year 1. Think of each Year as an arc….. Kind of…**

 **Does Brandon have anything to say?**

 **Brando: A happy ending to a chapter Yay :) Now I want to be crushed emotionally and for you to trigger my crippling depression in the next chapter. And remember kids a meme a day keeps the depression at bay.**

 **Sauron: Omg that escalated really quickly pinche boi… well I'll have you know that we're only going up from here…. Or are we….. I don't know *shrugs innocently***

 **Anywho if you enjoyed the story, please leave a fav, follow, review, or pm. We absolutely love to hear what you think. Ideas, suggestions, reactions, criticisms, opinions, questions, We absolutely love them.**

 **Reviews!**

 **AlNation: I wouldn't call it a beauty, hopefully this nailed the emotions as well. I'm trying to show the conflicting sides within Jaune's mind. Hopefully it's a thing xD For real though, glad you're enjoying, I hope you keep enjoying!**

 **CoNViX: Glad to see you around mate! No worries, I totally understand. No comments on White Knight at the moment. Don't worry, there will be plenty of Weiss chapters!**

 **Guest: Glad you like the chapter!**

 **Lemoncakes: You sly devil you! Like I said I love my intros and outros. They will definitely help to give perspective looking back as you read them. As for Raven, all I'mma say is I love my Raven xD**

 **Cpt Lynx: Heyya buddy! Glad you liked the chapter! To be honest if there are different perspectives, it'll be related to Jaune somehow, not some randy stuff so never fret!**

 **Yukas: Thanks for the review as always glad you enjoyed it. However as for ships: No Comments at this time! xD**

 **Thanks for reading everyone! It's super appreciated.**

 **-Lordxsauron**


	7. Chapter 7: Something New

**Chapter 7- Something New**

 _You know, I find myself constantly questioning myself that one night. What if I said no? Where would I be? How could I, though? How can you turn down someone in need, someone who was hurting? A hurt that you could understand? Let alone a friend who is in need and hurting._

 _You can make excuses of course, or maybe there is a legitimate reason. I couldn't make an excuse though. That's not the person I wanted to be. I wanted to be a decent person. Am I still? Who knows, I never really believed that people are inherently good or evil, angels or demons._

 _In the end, we're just people trying to do what we think is best._

* * *

 ***Friday***

Weiss slammed her locker shut only to be greeted by the smiling face of her best friend and the drum major, Velvet. "Good morning Weiss." She smiled amicably. Velvet was Weiss' best friend ever since childhood. They would always go over to each other's houses on the weekends.

Of course, Weiss had other friends, but they had all drifted away with high school. They fell into different social groups and friends, but what surprised her the most was how fast they turned their back on her .

They ignored her, pretended she didn't exist. That was something she could handle. However, one thing she had a hard time understanding was how her former friends actively attacked her. They called her names, spread rumors about her, pranked her. Winter often said that they were jealous of true talent, that they were jealous of her intelligence, of her beauty, but that didn't make her feel any better.

However, Velvet stuck by her, through thick and thin, something that Weiss could always respect. Seeing Velvet always brightened her day. No matter how bad the rumors were, no matter how harsh the names, how cruel the pranks were, it's always comforting to know how she was always there. It always brought a smile to her face, but not this time.

"Weiss what's wrong?" She frowned eyeing her white-haired friend as the two headed down the hall, Velvet by her side.

Weiss kept her books close to herself as she saw Cardin and Russell glare at the two. Last night at practice was a nightmare without Jaune. Jaune tended to keep the two in line, or at least helped to soften the two, but this week, they were vicious. They were constantly whispering to each other. "He's been out for awhile…" She said worriedly.

Velvet looked at Weiss questioningly. "Who?"

"Jaune." She said as the two passed Cardin and Russell who muttered something.

Velvet glared at the two as Weiss stared ahead, trying to pay them no mind. "I hate those two…." She sighed as they passed the two.

"You aren't the only one." Weiss let out an exhausted sigh. "I just don't understand. I didn't do anything to those two brutes.." She stopped by the staircase.

Velvet looked at her sympathetically, she brought a reassuring hand to her the white girl's shoulder. "Well don't let them get to you, alright?" Weiss nodded appreciatively with a grateful smile. "I see you at lunch."

"Yeah, have a good class Velvet" which earned a smile from her friend as she turned to head down to her own class. She made her way down the staircase as she approached Mrs. Branwen's room. It was going to be a long day, especially with an away football game, now she had to deal with Cardin and Russell for the night as well.

Weiss descended the stairs and headed around the corner. She walked into the room and felt instant relief. There, in the room, was Jaune smiling as he worked. It warmed her heart seeing him in higher spirits than on Monday. At her usual spot was the teacher, Raven, who was reading a book which could make it out _What This Cruel Was Over._

"Morning Weiss." Raven greeted with a smile shifting her book forward "You're here early." She noted inquisitively.

 _Well if it weren't for Cardin or Russell._ She bit her tongue. "I got here early." She commented nonchalantly giving a simple shrug. Raven nodded and went back to her book.

Jaune looked up with a small smile that made the young white girl feel welcome. She dropped her books off at the front desk.

She walked towards him; hands clasped in front of her. He gave a hand gesture to sit which she obliged. "Feeling better?" She asked.

Jaune gave a small nod appreciating the concern. "I am, thank you." Now that Weiss thought about it, it was the first time that She and him got to talk one on one without any interference. However, she could tell Raven was listening in with the occasional red eye peering above the book.

"I never got to... Thank you for the other day."

She raised an eyebrow _The other day?_ She asked herself. "You told me that I should start to open up... And that you wanted to be friends..." He trailed off fidgeting with his fingers, look everywhere but at her.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry for pushing you away, and if you don't want to be friends I totally understand. I mean I was being a jerk and-"

Weiss raised a small, delicate hand to cut his innocent rambling off. "I would like that."

He narrowed his eyes as if he were confused "Like what?"

Weiss couldn't help but to giggle ever so slightly. "To be your friend..." She deadpanned. At that moment he relaxed with a look of relief and happiness.

"Ohhhh... Thank goodness..." He let out a sigh of relief. He ripped out a small piece of paper and a rippled something on it. He then handed to Weiss. "I just got a new phone." He noted somewhat awkwardly as he averted his gaze. Weiss smiled taking the number and Jaune's pen and wrote her own number on another piece of paper.

"Awesome," Jaune said he closed his notebook as he looked up at her with a smile. "So how was band?"

"It was..." She hesitated for a moment.. "Good..."

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "so not good."

Weiss was about to deflect the comment. when he guessed "Let me guess, Cardin and Russell?"

She let out a defeated sigh, only being able to nod. _How the roles have switched._ She thought ironically as she bit her lip..

He tapped his chin in thought. "I'll see if I can help with that… Of course if you want help with that, that is…"

"But how?" She asked somewhat shocked by the offer..

*BING BING BING*. Raven got up from her chair. "I have to do hallway duty; I'm sure you two can handle yourselves." She said with a slight smile as she walked out of the room. _Wonder what she's happy about._ Her attention turned back to Jaune who whispered

"You should go now before they get here." She nodded in agreement. It was just frustrating with Cardin and Russell were constantly after her. She could tell someone; she could go to the Principle Ozpin, or Qrow, or Raven, heck even the other teachers. Cardin would know though. As much as he was a brute, he was also incredibly clever and he would catch on, only making her life even more of a nightmare.

She stood up and quickly walked over to her seat. She couldn't help but to smile, at least someone, besides Velvet didn't actually look down at her, didn't ditch her, someone who actually looked after her like that. _It doesn't matter._ She thought to herself. _Just take it for what it is_. She pulled out her assignment. Staring back at her, was Jaune's assignment that she was supposed to give him. She quickly stood up and went over to hand it over to him. "I forgot to give this to you. Raven wants you…"

"JAUNE!" Weiss froze in horror realizing who it was. She looked over the other side of Jaune to see the towering Cardin Winchester glaring down at her. "Weiss." He spat on the ground which made Jaune cringe. "Dude. Gross." Jaune muttered, but neither acknowledged Jaune. Weiss was too preoccupied with the hulk in front of her, the only thing separating the two was Jaune's desk.

"Well anyway. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, ya can go now before he gets spit all over my desk." Weiss recoiled slightly in shock. _What? But Cardin did it._ She looked at Jaune who almost seemed to look guilty. His smile slightly wavering. _Fine. I'll go with it._ She mentally sighed. She noticed that Jaune and Cardin chuckled. "No but for real Cardin…. That's kinda gross, you should clean that up." She could hear Jaune mutter from back the row as she made her way to her own seat. _Is he seriously trying to play both sides? What the heck does he even see in Cardin?_

Russell walked in, completely ignoring Weiss and moving towards the back of the room joining in the conversation in the back. _Or Russell._

Raven walked in with a stack of papers plopping them down on her teaching stool. "Alright guys! Today we're going to be talking about the French and Indian War and how it caused marital problems between the Britain and the Thirteen Colonies." Everyone chuckled in the class. _Well at least class will be interesting..._

* * *

 ***After School***

With all the instruments loaded up, which Jaune had helped when not in sight of Cardin and Russell, Weiss could finally relax. With their first away football game, Weiss was already tired and exhausted. She had to help load up the truck, but she had the help of Jaune who volunteered to load Cardin and Russel's instrument. Raven helped occasionally, but she was preoccupied with trapping everything and making everything secure, figuring out logistics with the Roadies, dealing with the Band Boosters. She was all over the place.. Jaune even volunteered to help load other instruments which made Weiss volunteer as well.

 ***SLAM***. Raven latched the back of the truck down she gave it an upward yank. Satisfied it was secured, she turned to face her two students. "Would you mind bringing everyone out here in..." She paused a moment as she looked at her watch. "Forty minutes?"

"We can do that." Weiss nodded in agreement. Sure it was odd, but she would go with it. With that, Raven smiled as she pardoned herself and made her way towards the parking lot.

Jaune gave a slight a befuddled look. "I wonder what that'll be about..."

"Who knows." Weiss kept walking as Jaune opened the door held it open for her which caused her to give an appreciative nod. "Thank you."

"Anytime." He gave a slight smile. Before she moved towards the band room. "Hey uhh... Weiss?"

 _That doesn't sound promising._ She thought to herself as she turned to face Jaune, giving him an inquisitive look.

"You know how I said I was going to help you...?"

She nodded, not knowing where this was going.

"That is going to have to make us spend as little less time together when we're around them." _Is he really goin back on his word?_ She was stunned.

"If they keep hassling now. If we're see around each other, it's only going to make it worse. This way, I can rein him in without escalating things. What do you think?"

Weiss stood there looking over Jaune, studying him over. His words sounded sincere, he looked sincere. "We would still be friends of course." He added looking at her.

She hesitantly nodded. _This is what friends are supposed to be... Friends are supposed to stick up for one another._ She thought, but then again he was also friends with Cardin and Russell. As much as she hated the two, she didn't want to get between the two of them. He was playing diplomat.

She smiled. "Sure." She agreed as she walked in the band room first. She saw Velvet across the room waving her over. With a smile, she walked over taking a seat beside her. Velvet was happily snacking on some carrots, dunking each stick in ranch. She offered one to Weiss which she accepted and bit into it with a loud crunch.

"So how was your day?" Velvet asked biting into another carrot stick as she offered another one to Weiss.

She gave a polite hand wave. "Long. Lunch was particularly tiresome."

"Cardin?" Her friend inquired which earned a nod from Weiss. "I don't see why you just don't tell someone..."

Weiss rolled her head in frustration. "Please Velvet, don't start this up again." ***THWACK*** She felt something hit her in the back of the head. She brought her hand to the back of her head and felt around. She felt a small wet ball. She cringed as she pulled it out of her hair. With a disgusted look, she looked at Cardin who was smiling with a straw in his hands. Just then, Jaune reached over and grabbed the straw and threw it out. "Come on man, that's just kinda really gross, you have standards." She could hear the blonde say. She turned around throwing the damp wad of paper on the ground.

"Spitballs now? This is too much." Velvet shook her head as she stood up, scowling at Cardin.

"Velvet…. What are you doing…?" She eyed her friend suspiciously.

"I'm going to get someone to stop this." She turned towards the direction of Mr. Branwen's office. Weiss was touched by Velvet's sincerity, but this time it was only going to make things worse. As fast as lightning, she reached over grabbing Velvet's hand.

Her friend turned around to face her. "Please don't Velvet, it'll only make things worse… for the both of us." Her water blue eyes pleading to her longtime friend.

"But…" Weiss offered a brief squeeze as if to say. _I'm not asking, I'm begging. Not just for me, but for you._ Velvet shoulder's sagged as she sat down and relented. "Just for now, but if this goes on too much longer I won't be able to just sit and watch." She said downcasted.

"Thank you, Velvet." Weiss let go of her hand. "It means a lot." She looked up at the clock realizing it was about forty minutes. She stood up, "I'll be back, Mrs. Branwen needs us right about now." Velvet nodded with a smile as Weiss went over to the two people she hated the most.

Cardin stood up looming over her. "What?"

"Raven wants to see us right now." She noted that Cardin gritted his teeth.

He looked like he was about to retort when Jaune stepped forward. "That time already? Time flies." He patted Cardin on the back with a cheery smile who just grunted in response. The four of them head outside, Jaune positioning himself behind Weiss, in front of Cardin, something that she took note. _He's actually taking this seriously._ The thought made her smile.

They opened the door to have been met with the tall black haired, red eyed woman carrying a rectangular box. "Alright." She stopped as the four formed a small semi circle around her. "So tradition with drumline is that every away football game, we get a pizza." She said with a small smile. "Think of it as an edible good luck charm. To be honest, I don't think you guys need it." She opened the box and handed it to Jaune.

"Raven! Where's my pizza!" Qrow whined out from the door.

"I got it you lazy bum!" She shouted back, giving a slightly annoyed sigh. "Sorry guys, duty calls." She took out a plate from the box and pulled out two slices. "Everyone get's two slices." She took her leave of the four of them.

As if starving wolves, Cardin and Russell took their plates and pulled off three slices. "But she said two slices." Weiss protested. _Selfish jerks._

"Not my problem." Russell chuckled much to Weiss' chagrin which made Cardin laugh. The two boys walked off laughing while eating their dinners leaving Jaune and Weiss alone.

"Take mine." Jaune offered.

"But what about you?" She looked over Jaune concernedly.

He shrugged. "I don't like to eat before a trip. I get an upset stomach." _That isn't healthy._ She noted to herself. _No, he needs to eat something._ She thought to herself.

"If you don't eat, I don't eat." She crossed her arms giving the most disapproving glare she could muster.

"But-"

She managed to glare harder than what she could have imagined. "Fine…. I'll take half a slice. Is that alright?" It wasn't ideal, but it was better than nothing. She nodded as he sat the box down on the ground proceeded to hand Weiss her slice and a half while he took his.

She gave him a warning look, he sighed and took a small bite out of his. With that, she was satisfied and started to eat her own pizza as the two of them sitting outside, leaning along the wall eating their meals in silence. Weiss was content, it was comfortable silence, nothing had to be said. "Hey Jaune."

He looked over, tilting his head questioningly.

"Thank you." She whispered with a smile which he returned in kind.

"No problem."

* * *

 ***AWAY FOOTBALL GAME***

It was cold, extremely cold for Weiss, even with the thick uniform. Her hands shivered uncontrollably as she brought her hands up to her mouth, trying to warm them with her breath. Jaune, Cardin, and Russell made their way over to her cart and set up their instruments right in front of her.

"Alright, guys one more time." Raven clicked her sticks. Even their instructor was shivering in her black windbreaker. "One more run through guys. You have to keep your hands moving. Jaune tap off again." She kept tapping the show's beat.

Jaune tapped off to their instructor's beat. *TAP* The last tap resonated off the drum sending Weiss turning her into a thoughtless automaton, playing more on instinct and reflex. It was through her experience that you need to build muscle memory with a keyboard. Whether it be with a piano or a vibraphone, your hands had to know where the notes were.

Memorizing the music added a whole nother level to muscle memory. Adding dynamics, rolls, and chords. Without thinking, she quickly placed her hard black mallets with a lighter, softer pair of blue yarn mallets as the ballet came up. Jaune's quads came off of a soft roll on the low drum which allowed her start a roll at a low pitch as she stepped on the pedal of the vibraphone, allowing the notes to resonate an eerily low sound

She slowly shifted upwards the scale, leaving up on the pedal, while occasionally stepping down. The eery music slowly shift to a calming and relaxing melody as Russell lightly played along, matching the lightheartedness of the tune.

A crescendo started to build up ever so slowly. Four more measures she thought to herself as the pace started to build up as notes went up the scale. She could see Cardin and Jaune pull their sticks out of their holsters.

They assumed their position as the crescendo started to build off. Russell started a drum roll. It built up. Here it comes.

She immediately let go of the pedal cutting off the resonating effects of the instrument as Jaune and Cardin joined in flawlessly into the third movement. This is where muscle memory came into play. She scaled the chords so fast off of memory alone, thinking only caused mistakes.

After dramatic close.

With all of her strength, she slammed down on the keyboard with her mallets. _ONE. TWO. AND…. WAIT….. THREE!_ She immediately brought her sticks down to her sides in unison with the other three boys.

Raven stopped clicking her sticks as she eyed the four of them over. _Don't move._ Weiss thought to herself. She willed herself, her breathing so faint, she could feel the lack of oxygen. The instructor held up her sticks in one hand forming an x signaling _at ease._

"Nice job guys." Raven complimented with a smile as she brought down her stick. She rummaged in one of her pockets pulling out four hand warmers. She tossed one to each percussionist. "Keep your hands warm. You're going to need them." She warned them.

"RAVEN!" She craned her neck over to look over at her brother. "YOU GUYS SOON READY?" He shouted.

She looked over at the four of them. "You all feeling pretty alright?" She asked.

Weiss nodded. "We sure are." She reassured her instructor confidently, ignoring the glares from Cardin and Russell.

"Awesome, I'll go get the roadies then, don't forget there's water if you need any before the show." She nodded towards the Gatorade cooler as she made her way to the band boosters who helped to set up the show props and drive the tractor.

Weiss always got nervous before a performance. She knew that she was far better from where she started, but she found that cold water always helped to settle her pre-performance nerves. She got off her cart and headed over to the cooler, pulling out a plastic cup and filling up the cup, the coldness of the air and cup causing her hand to go almost numb as she controlled her shaking hand.

With it filled with ice cold water, she took a sip when she whirled around being startled by Cardin who stood right behind her, dumping the water all over his uniform.

The look in his eyes told her that she had made a mistake. _Please don't_ she mentally pleaded. His eyes wide from either pure shock from the cold or the fact that water was just spilled on him. _No, no, no, no, no._ She pleaded.

"You mother fucking…." He muttered through his teeth as looked down at his uniform. Good thing it was black green top and trousers or else it would have looked liked he pissed himself.

She held her hands up defensively, looking around terrified what this boy could do. "I'm sorry Cardin, it was an accident."

"Bitch." He finished darkly as Russell cornered her.

"Hey Cardin!" Jaune called out. "I got an extra towel." He shoved himself in between Cardin and Russell, grabbing the taller, muscular boy by the shoulder which made him briefly turn around to face the blonde. "Why don't we see if we can dry that off before you start freezing." He suggested.

Cardin smirked as he looked at Weiss. "That wouldn't be necessary if it wasn't for this clumsy bitch…." _It was an accident though._ She could tell that he something whirling in his brain, behind that smirk lied a sinister intent. He backed off skulking off towards Jaune. She straightened up exhaling slowly. She needed to make another mental note. _Thank Jaune later._ She watched as he tossed Cardin a towel, making the briefest of eye contact with her before going back to distracting Cardin.

As if on cue, Raven showed with one of the band boosters. She waved everyone over. "Listen guys." Weiss gave her her undivided attention. "I want you guys to treat this as your competition that's coming up in a couple of weeks. We need to start taking this seriously." She glanced over everyone. "Can we do that?"

"Yes Ma'am." Weiss replied wholeheartedly which caused the dark haired instructor to smile.

"Alright. I'd say good luck, but you guys don't need it. Now go line up. I'll see you all after the show." She walked off as everyone assumed their spots along the tractor and cart. She felt a sharp tap on her shoulder. She whirled around looking at Cardin who looked rather pissed off.

"Don't fuck up." The look in his eyes guaranteed that there was another message behind his words.

* * *

 _That was alright._ She thought to herself as she unloaded her vibraphone with the help of Raven. The show wasn't remarkable, but there weren't any glaring mistakes. "You did good Weiss." She complimented which earned a nod for the white hair themed girl. "Sure there were a few patches you sped up, but you managed to fix that when you caught yourself." _Need to correct that._ She marked up on her mental checklist.

However, that also threw off other people, specifically Jaune and Russell. Obviously, Jaune was able to recover, but Russell was being thrown off to the point it threw off Cardin. The two had to stop playing and join in when they were able to find the tempo. "We'll get it all settled." Her instructor said as she strapped down the instrument in the trailer.

Jaune carried up the quads in their case grunting as he eased the bulky, heavy case down. "Jaune, you also had a good performance." Raven complimented as she hefted up the case and strapped along the wall, flicking the cord with her finger.

The last of the instruments were all strapped in and secured as Raven dusted her hands off as the roadies helped prep the trailer for its trip back home. "I hate to do this to you guys, but I'm heading home from here." She turned to look at Weiss. "Would you mind unpacking the trailer and making sure all the instruments are in their proper spots?"

 _Figuring that Cardin and Russell won't do it…._ "I can do that."

Jaune nodded as well, a hint of pride taking encroaching his neutral tone. "I'll help too." Raven's smile grew larger as she eyed up the two. She draped her arms around the two. Weiss finally got the idea of how strong the older woman was as she dragged the two of them into a hug.

"Thanks you two." Raven said as she hugged the two of them. "You two have a good weekend." She released them. "Now get on the bus. Come on, hurry. I don't want you to be at the school till midnight." She shooed them off. Weiss could"nt help but to smile. Sure she had a loving family, but she had few friends outside of the family. There were Velvet and Jaune. But right now Raven was included in that list. The three of them would help her through high school. Help her deal with Cardin and Russell.

"You did pretty well." Weiss complimented as they headed towards the bus.

"You didn't do too bad either." He fired back as they both boarded the bus. At this point the bus was relatively empty. Weiss looked around to see that Velvet wasn't there. Her parents must have picked her up then. _Well crap._ Look like it was going to be a hopefully uneventful bus ride. She moved towards the middle of the bus picking an empty seat that was away from Cardin. She sat down and noted that Jaune sat a few seats ahead of her. She rummaged through her bag, pulling out her phone unwrapping the earbuds as she brought her knees up to the back of the seat in front of her. She curled up into a white ball trying to stay warm.

She could feel the engine of the bus start up as she hit play on her phone. She rested her head along the window as her eyes got heavier and heavier. She failed to hear the shuffling behind as she started to drift into a relaxed sleep.

* * *

She jolted up looking around. She looked around hearing the laughter of Cardin and Russell when she realized she was soaked with freezing cold water. She started to shake uncontrollably as she tried to warm herself as she glared at the boy who was laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes.

"...Payback…. A…. bitch…. Huh?" He managed between laughs.

She couldn't say anything through her chattering teeth. _Why is he so… hateful…._ She managed to think through the shivering. She checked her phone, thankful it wasn't fried from the water, which she stuffed in her bookbag. Without saying a word, she slowly stood up, shivering violently. She moved towards the seat where Jaune was sitting.

She could barely see in the dark, but from what she could tell, he was asleep with his music playing loudly.. She gently tapped him on the shoulder as he shot up looking around startled. He took out his earbuds. "Weiss?" He asked questioningly.

She rubbed her shoulder hesitantly. She was afraid of putting him in a bad spot if Cardin and Russell saw the two together. But she was bothered right now. So much anger, malice, hate towards her for no reason, and that really bothered her. "Can I sit with you?"

He scooted into the window putting his backpack on his lap. "Yeah." He whispered. She nodded in thanks as she sat down. "What happened?" He asked. Even though it was dark, his voice gave away that he was deeply concerned.

"Cardin dumped water all over me."

Jaune rolled his head letting out an annoyed sigh. "I'm sorry Weiss." He immediately pulled off his hoodie and offered it to Weiss.

She stared at him with a blank expression. "I can't. It's yours and I don't want to get it wet." She said defiantly.

He gave a sharp inhale. "I enjoy the cold, take it cause I'm not wearing it now."

She couldn't help but to smile. _He's so stubborn_. She thought to herself as she reached out took it. She slipped it over her slender frame embracing the warmth. "Thank you." She said, however she didn't notice how close they had gotten.

"Wanna take a listen?" He offered one earbud which she took in her head. She placed the earbud in listening to the music.

It wasn't her cup of tea, but she found the music evenly paced and the singing wasn't too bad.

 _I say ya kill your heroes and_

 _Fly, fly, baby don't cry._

 _No need to worry cause_

 _Everybody will die._

 _Every day we just_

 _Go, Go, baby don't go._

She listened to the lyrics as her head grew heavy. She rested herself on something soft as her eyelids grew heavier and heavier as she found herself soaking in even more warmth. She failed to notice the slightly shocked looked on Jaune's face that turned into a small smile.

* * *

 _Honestly, looking back, That was the best decision I made to help Weiss. It led to a great many memories. That moment where she rested her head on my shoulder. I struck with a moment clarity. A moment of surreality._

 _Everything felt right. Everything felt perfect. The fourteen years of shit washed away in that one moment of happiness. It was so strange, something incomprehensible. A moment I will always cherish until the day I die._

 _I don't know why I felt that way. Was it from helping a friend? Being a good person? Because I had a rather attractive girl sleeping on my shoulder? I still don't understand. Maybe it was all of these things, maybe none of them. All I know was that moment changed me. Changed us._

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hey guys! Got a new chapter here!**

 **So….. You may or may not hate for me this chapter cause you know different perspective. I came to the conclusion that for this story to be effective, we will have different perspectives, however the focus will be on Jaune. That's what we're going to go with. Some chapters will have mixed perspectives while others will have entire chapters dedicated.**

 **Like I said Marching Band and two more unnamed events/activities/hobbies will be playing an important role in the upcoming arcs. Marching Band and anything else is difficult to write lol. To be honest, you can't really get a feel for music unless you listen to it. If there was a way, I'd include an audiofile**

 **Important Note: The Chapter will be a two parter. There will also be a time skip. About two months. I know what you're thinking two months is a lot... but we're going to be covering 8 years highschool and college. so that's inevitable. I'll work in what happens, but the big thing is going to be the first and only band competition occurs, and some good and bad stuff will happen. You'll see!**

 **So what did you all think of Weiss? Plus we got to see some Velvet, but she's got a little bit of a bite (Thanks Shaded xD) Please, in all honesty, I need know if you thought it was meh, good, or bad. All feedback helps. Got opinions, reactions, suggestions, theories, questions, anything and everything, I would love to hear them!**

 **And I know some of you are going to be like ohhhhh music… I'm steering away from it unless I think it is necessary.**

 **Song: Awolnation- Kill Your Heroes.**

 **Does Brandon have anything to say?**

 **Brandon: I'm not crying *Sniff***

 **Sauron: I'm not crying! It's just been raining on my face! If you think you see some tears running down my cheeks, please don't tell my mates!**

 **REVIEWS!**

 **Wes: HEY BUDDY! Where you've been?! Nah, mate it's totally fine, I'm glad you caught back up. Good to see that you like the chapter. Hopefully I didn't disappoint ya with this chapter.**

 **Yukas: Glad you like the chapter! I won't lie, I was little nervous with it lol. Aubry the traitor! TRAITOR! (Star wars VII Quote? Maybe? Maybe) No comments on ships xD P.S. I started to read some of your fics. I half way done with A Different Start, I'll leave a review when I'm caught up, so far I'm enjoying it though.**

 **Convix: Hey buddy! I'm glad you're enjoying the chapters so far, I hope I don't disappoint! I won't lie, Happy (sometimes not happy) Raven is my favorite. I hope I don't disappoint the relationship between Jaune and her, cause that is going to be one of the most important bonds throughout the entirety of the story. She is one of the biggest characters in story, so we'll see a lot more of her as well as Qrow and the rest of STRQ (eventually). Nothing wrong with assuming mate, let's just say let's see where things go…. :D No comments on ships xD (Gosh that has to be kinda frustrating lol.)**

 **Cpt. Lynx: Hey buddy! Glad You enjoy the chapter, hopefully I don't disappoint, Idk if I deserve that much confidence xD**

 **Guest: Glad it was great.**

 **Almost Stupid: Hey buddy thanks for the review. You got my pm, no worries mate! Hopefully the music was more… refined, reduced, and enhancing? Lol Idk. I appreciate the honesty though!**

 **Thanks for reading, it's always appreciated!**

 **-** Lordxsauron


	8. Chapter 8: Mind vs Body Part 1

**Chapter 8: Mind vs. Body Part 1**

 _Time tends to move forward when you feel comfortable with the status quo. In fact, you may even say that time flies by when things are looking up. My parents were supportive. They were even going to the football games, things at home were settled down._

 _School was going exceptionally well. Balancing school work with Band was easy enough. I was able to keep Cardin and Weiss from each other's throats… for the most part._

 _The competition. Everything rode on that competition. I find that competition shows us truly we are prepared for life. Competition to see if who has the best life, who is the most prepared, who is the most successful. I might have failed in all of these competitions. One thing competition I would dare declare to be victor was in determination. Especially back when everything hinged on winning at the Cavalcade Bands._

 _However, we can push ourselves mentally, but at what point does the body give out?_

* * *

 ***BWRANG BWRANG BWRANG*** Two red eyes opened up glaring at the alarm clock through a cascade of black hair. 5:00 A.M. _Way too damn early Qrow..._ She quickly hit the off button on the alarm as she looked over the messy blonde hair man she called her loveable oaf of a husband, Taiyang. To be honest she always felt guilty on competition days, but this was a unique competition. Thankfully he was still asleep, or so she thought.

She felt a shift in the bed as Taiyang Xiao-Long, as lilac eyes met crimson. "Morning." He yawned loudly. No wonder Yang got her late rising abilities from Taiyang. "This is a little ridiculous." He mumbled as he wiped his eyes from the sleep.

Raven sat up from the bed looking at Taiyang with a bemused smirk. "You know you could still be asleep…"

Tai chuckled. "Well yeah, but someone has to make you breakfast."

She tossed a pillow at Tai, looking betrayed. "I know how to cook…" She protested. Tai waved a hand dismissing her.

"Oh please…. You know you love it when I cook." He wasn't wrong either.

Taiyang stretched as he hopped out of bed, left the bedroom giving Raven privacy to get ready. After getting a quick a shower, she quickly changed into her usual attire of a green West Pine Band Shirt and jeans, and a black and red windbreaker. She headed downstairs to be greeted by the smell of eggs and bacon. She felt confident about today, but still there was the fear of the unknown. She sat down at the table rearranging her gym bag as Taiyang placed a plate before her as he sat down beside her.

To be honest, Raven wasn't hungry as she looked at the plate, she looked at Tai who was eyeing her over worriedly. Apparently he could tell something was nagging at her. "What's up Rae?"

"You know what it is…" She sighed as she forced herself to eat small bites to help settle his nerve.

He reached towards her bringing a hand over her own, squeezing her hand. "I just…. What if we don't perform well…. The band is going to lose all of its funding. The school board will cut the program."

"Hey…" His voice sincere making her look at him. "Don't worry about it. You've been working hard and so has everyone else. I'm sure you'll all do fine."

"But..."

He shook his finger with his own free hand, "No buts. You need to stay positive."

She inhaled sharply. "You're right. Thanks Tai."

He smirked in response. "Well yeah, I can't have my sugar mama be down in the dumps."

Rave glared at him. "Do you want to get slapped across the face now or when I get back?"

He held up his hands defensively. "Neither please." Raven chuckled as she finished her breakfast, kissed Tai on the head and slung the bag along her back. "Tell Yang I love her." She said as she closed the door behind her. She jumped in her car as she looked at the clock. 6:00 A.M, she had about half an hour to go to the store, get to the school, and open up before any of her percussionists show up. Good thing she usually worked well under a time table.

* * *

"It's a little early for this…" Jaune's mother noted scanning the parking lot. Three other cars waited idle from what Jaune could tell had to be the other percussionists.

Jaune yawned, wiping away the sleep in his eyes. "It is…." He yawned again. Staying up was a poor decision now. "But it's a big day."

"Well, we'll be there to cheer you guys on." She patted his knee. Jaune couldn't help but to smile. The past month was going exceptionally well. Maybe even too well for him. He opened the door up to step outside in the cool brisk air. He could hear the doors of the other vehicles slam shut. "Aren't you forgetting something?" His mother cleared her throat and looked at him expectantly.

He reached into the car, wrapping his arms around his mother. "I love you." He said as he quickly backed off. This was too early for the weekend. He slung his backpack along his shoulder and headed towards the building. Russell ran up to hanging his arm around the blonde's shoulder.

"Hey Jauney." He sounded to cheery for this ungodly hour.

"Hey Russell…." He could hear the heavy footsteps behind him. That could only be Cardin.

"Dude you were tearing it up last night. I never seen anyone go thirtyfour and two." Cardin patted him on the back with impressed look.

Jane yawned for the third time. "Well I'm regretting it now." He gave a quick glance to see that Weiss was trailing after them. Jaune opened the door, holding it open for Cardin and Russell. Weiss walked in, which Jaune couldn't help to smile. It made her cold, distant expression instantly lighten up, returning the smile as she walked in.

Cardin tried to turn down on the door's handle to no avail. "It's locked." He grunted as kept trying to bend the door to his will. "We're here at seven in the flipping morning, during a Saturday, cause our instructor wants us here and for what?" He bitterly muttered as he kept shaking the handle.

"I think for that." Russell pointed down the hall where Raven carried a rather large box as several bags were around her arms. Jaune mentally sighed. _Bums._ He jogged up their instructor.

"Let me help." He offered. Raven nodded in appreciation. "Just take the box." She replied back as she eased the box into Jaune's hands. "Got it?" Jaune nodded as he walked down the hall following. _What the hell is this…._ He wondered. He was tempted to peek in the box, but that may or may not earn Raven's anger, and that is something he did not want to do.

She made it down the hallway, producing a key in her hand, she managed to unlock the doors. Which Russell held open for everyone. "Can someone hit the lights?" She asked which Weiss obliged. "Cardin, can you get the table from the storage room?" Cardin lumbered off which in a few moments he produced the desired table which allowed for Raven to lower her bags onto the table. She nodded at Jaune to do the same with the box.

Jaune complied as he lowered the box and placed in on the table gingerly. He took a step back and watched as Raven found herself perched on her stool as always. "So as you guys know…. We're here at an ungodly hour." She studied each one. "Well, I do feel bad dragging you out of bed this early, this is an extremely important reason." She waved her hand gesturing for them to sit down.

Jaune took a seat between Cardin and Weiss. _Important?_ _Why important._ "The Band isn't doing too well. The School Board is looking to cut funding; that's why we were only able to go to one competition." The mood in the room shifted as Raven's expression became more fierce. Jaune could feel her eyes piercing right into his heart. "One of the programs they want to cut is Band. Qrow was able to cut a deal with the board. If we score in the top ten, the school board agreed to continue funding for the band, even to the point of having more competitions and new uniforms and instruments." _Shit._ Jaune cursed. This was a big deal. He also realized that if they didn't do well, the program would most likely be cut, and that was something Jaune was not willing to let happen.

"So I need us to be on point today. I need us to focus, I need us take this seriously. I need us to practice. That's why I asked us all to be here so early. Do you want to see this program be cut?"

Everyone shook their head no. Jaune could feel his throat drying up in anxiousness. He loved band. For the three months he was in it, he was a dedicated member. It provided him with stability when his life wasn't very stable.

"Then we need be the best we can be. We need to save the program, I can't do it, Qrow can't do it. It's all on you." _Absolutely no fucking pressure._ Jaune thought to himself. "Are we clear?"

"Yes ma'am." Weiss answered for all them. The determination in her voice was inspiring for him, for others, it was grating.

As if on a flick of a switch, she clapped her hands, her seriousness instantly evaporating with a smiling Raven. "Awesome. Well We're here super early as you might have guessed, early enough for a breakfast." She nodded towards the box and bags on the table. "Dig in."

 _She just keeps outdoing herself._ He admired. He couldn't fathom how someone could be so generous, so caring, to practically strangers. _Not stranger, friend._ He corrected himself. Cardin and Russell were first to the box

After the two pillaged the box, Jaune nodded for Weiss to go who smiled in return. As she finished up, Jaune stood up to see a large box filled with various types of doughnuts. After picking a strawberry filled one, he picked up several assorted cookies and poured himself a cup of orange juice. Once everyone had their plates, Raven was next, only electing a cup of orange juice and some cookies.

She sat back on her stool with a content smile, taking a sip of the golden nectar known as orange juice. "Thanks Raven." Jaune said after finish up his doughnut. She brushed off his thanks with a casual wave of the hand.

"So here's today's game plan." She said with a mouth full of cookie. "We're goin to get ready to play in about fifteen minutes. We'll do some warmups for an hour; I'll work with each group for half an hour. After warm ups, we run through the music, take a break, and link up with the band. Sound like a plan?"

Everyone agreed as they started to finish up their impromptu breakfast. "Battery." Jaune, Cardin, and Russell looked up at her. "You all can practice in the Foyer. Jaune, you can lead. I'll be working with Weiss first."

Jaune nodded as he went to back of the storage room and retrieved his gear.

* * *

 ***BANDROOM***

Weiss moved up the tiers as she reached her vibraphone. She pulled off the cover and folded it neatly and placed it up along the wall. Raven moved up to the tier as Weiss could feel the instructor's eyes look her over as if she were being studied. _What is she doing?_ The older woman moved to the side inspecting the instrument while occasionally glancing over to Weiss as she ran her fingers along the notes, occasionally flicking each one. _What is going on?_

She reached lowest octave G and flicked, _No._ which caused the sound rattle somewhat. She flicked it again, and again, causing Weiss' concern to increase with each flick. _No No No_ "I think we need to re-string it." She finally said flicking at the chord underneath the note.

"I'm… sorry!" She panicked "I didn't mean to break it!"

Raven placed a reassuring hand on Weiss laughing. "No No No, it isn't your fault. We have to do this every so often. I'll teach you how."

"Won't this cut into practice time though?"

Raven scoffed as if that was the greatest thing ever. "If it does, we'll push it back, we have five hours before the real band shows up." She walked down the stairs to retrieve her bag. She climbed the tiers producing a green toolbox from her bag. She reached in and pulled out a pocket knife and cut the four chords. As she yanked each cord out. "Besides, it'll give us some girl time."

 _Girl time?_ _What does she mean by that?_ Weiss raised an eyebrow.

She pulled out a wrapped ball of mallet chord. "So you're going to want to do is lift each not up and feed the chord through each loop." She explained as she demonstrated. Weiss nodded as she worked on the sharps and flats of the keyboard. It was relatively easy going through it.

"So how are things?" Raven asked casually.

 _What is she doing?_ She never knew a teacher to talk this informally before. Before she realized a few moments passed "Good?" Weiss responded unsuredly as she continued to laced the chord through the instrument

"That doesn't sound very confident…" Raven looked up, eying her over as she finished the last on the section and started to thread through the upper section.

"I'm doing fine." Weiss confirmed sharply ending the conversation as Raven's eyes narrowed. _Just tell her already._

' _Then what? Cardin would only get nastier and nastier. I've dealt with this since middle school.'_

 _Four years is a long time._

' _Jaune said he would help me.'_ She bit her lip in frustration as she finished her first thread and started on her second. "Weiss I want you to know you can talk to me about anything." Raven gave a slight elbow tap to her side with a light hearted smile. "Us percussion girls have to stick together right?"

Weiss couldn't help but to smile. _Now is your chance, She's giving you an out._

' _No.'_

"That's right." She smiled back as she laced the last note and tied the note just as her instructor had done. Raven flicked the notes along keyboard. She nodded being satisfied, she started to flick the sharps and flats on the keyboard, nodding as she did so. "You did well Weiss." She placed a reassuring hand on her. "Always be proud of what you do. Don't let others get to you." Her voice filled with a certain kind sincerity that pierced her. _Did she know? w_ as the only thing on her mind.

"Now come on let's get started with some warm ups." Raven said as she moved over to the xylophone, pulling off its cover.

* * *

Jaune could only sigh as he looked over at Cardin who was staring out the door watching Weiss, mumbling something under his breath. Jaune was getting annoyed now, Cardin being a dick and Russell goofing off on his drum didn't help matters either.

"Come on Cardin. We've got work to do." Jaune tapped his sticks, trying to get the bigger boy's attention. It was clear that wasn't going to work.

"... ….. ….. …. Practice" He could hear the older boy mumble under his breath.

Jaune walked over to the bigger boy. "What's that?" _This whole thing is getting kinda old now…_

Cardin briefly looked over to the smaller blonde, scowling at him. "I said I don't need to practice. Yet Weiss gets to dick around being Raven's favorite." He turned to look out the window his scowl deepening. _Not this again. Not today._ He tapped the taller boy's shoulder which was swatted aside easily.

Jaune rolled his eyes as leaned up against the matted wall. This is getting old. Real old. "HEY!" The drumming in the room stopped as Russell looked towards the angry blonde. Cardin almost jumped at sudden outburst. "We've got a job to do. You can worry about your girlfriend later." Cardin eyes glared at Jaune, shocked by the sudden outburst. It didn't last long enough as Cardin attention was drawn back to the door which caused his eyes to widen. He quickly straightened up and scampered off from the door back to his drum. The door slammed opened revealing a rather pissed off Raven. "I give you forty five minutes to warm up and you all waste it by dicking around." She glared at each one. The legendary Branwen glare was something a student didn't want to be on the receiving end. It sent the message that the only thing holding a Branwen back from ripping out your throat was their job.

Jaune noted how her glare lightened slightly when it landed at Jaune. "Real dedication guys. Real dedication. Follow me." She walked past all of them. _This can't be good._ He thought to himself as he followed her brisk pace with Cardin and Russell following.

"This is your fault. I hope you know that…" Jaune whispered menacingly at Cardin which earned a giggle from Cardin which caused the black haired teacher to whirl her head around glaring at Russell who instantly received the message.

"My fault?" Cardin whispered back. "I didn't do anything." He shot back. _Exactly you fucking idiot._

The four of them walked through the door to the gym on the opposite side of the foyer. "Ten laps. Go."

Cardin's jaw almost fell to the ground hearing the order, something that Jaune couldn't blame him for. Her tone was that of a drill instructor. "Come on. Move it, or it'll be fifteen." At that everyone started to run fearing that the idle threat was a promise.

Jaune started to jog around the gym. One lap. _This isn't too bad._ "Run it people. Or you'll make it twenty." The legendary hardass Branwen mentality was starting to show through. The gym started to seem longer, wider with each lap.

By the fourth lap, his legs were starting to cramp up as he passed by Russell, however, Cardin was by far the fittest. This was stupid. _If only he listened._ He huffed as he ran.

Sixth lap. His heart was pounding in his chest; in his head. It sounded like a jackhammer as he passed another lap. He felt himself get light headed by the eighth lap.

By now Cardin had finished, smirking while watching the other two run. Jaune's chest tightened, his heart fluttering. His chest was seizing up, he could barely breath as he finished his ninth lap. _One. More._ He willed himself even though his body said no. His heart felt like it was going to burst out of chest to the point where it hurt.

He finished the last lap doubling over, coughing, trying to catch his breath. His heart felt like it was going to explode. _**BA-DUMP BA-DUMP BA-DUMP BA-DUMP**_ His eyes wide with fear. _Wha._

 _ **Ba-DumpBa-DumpBa-DumpBa-Dump.**_ His heart never felt like this. His heart was just speeding out of control. He clutched his chest, as he held his breath. _Fuck._ Everything around him was just static, the voices around him just white noise.

Another coughing fit as he gasped for air. He felt a hand on his shoulder. _**Ba-Dump Ba-Dump Ba-Dump.**_ He could hear his pulse calm down. His chest loosened up. _The fuck._ He finished his thought. He blinked as he looked up Cardin and Russell were staring at him eyes wide as a deer caught in headlights, they looked freaked out. _Was that…._ Raven nowhere to be seen. "...Jaune?" _Where? Who?_

He then realized a hand was on his shoulder. "Go back to the foyer and practice. I want to hear some kind of warmup in two minutes." A stern voice called out. He looked over to see a Raven standing over him, looking at the other two boys. They didn't budge. "Go. Now." Her voice sharp and succinct. Cardin and Russell looked at each other taking a step back and slowly moving towards the band room.

He felt an arm wrap around his shoulder as he was forced to move towards the wall. "Come on, sit down." The caring warmth coming back into the teacher's voice.

"I'm fine." Jaune tried to breakaway, but it was pointless, he was too weak right now. He relented as Raven propped him against the wall. He slid down landing with slight plop as she crouched to eye level with him; those red eyes tearing right through him.

"No you're not." There was no point in arguing against that tone. "What happened? And don't tell me nothing."

Jaune eased back into the wall resting head against the mat. "I don't know….." He said through some pants.

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, nodding her head as if thinking what to ask. "Has this ever happened before?"

Jaune looked up the ceiling, still feeling her unyielding stare. There were times where his heart skipped a beat here and there or sometimes his heart would race, but he always chalked that up to caffeine or a tense situation. He thought nothing of it. "Not that I can recall..." He tried to recall.

Raven at this point sat on the floor, legs crossed, her chin resting on interlaced fingers, deep in thought. At this point she was staring at him, or more like through him. He wondered what was going through her in mind.

A few moments passed

…

…

…

"I'm going to call home." She finally answered, sounding incredibly concerned.

Jaune practically wanted to jump up in protest. _No. This can't happen. It was just something that came up, it went away fast enough._ He reasoned with himself. "Please don't…." He almost pleaded.

"Jaune…" That motherly tone peaked in.

"No! Please!" His voice raised as he panicked. _I'll be damned if I miss today._ "Raven, I'm asking- begging you not to do that."

She leaned staring at him inquisitively. "Jaune you're going to have to give me something better than that…"

"I don't know what it was, but please. I'll tell my parents after this, but I can guarantee that if you call them, I'm going to be out for the competition. You're going to need me." He crossed his arms, he didn't mean to sound cocky, but it was truth. They really did need him.

Raven shook her head as she brought a hand to head. "I shouldn't have made you guys run laps. That was careless of me. Your health is something not to gamble-" Jaune could see the guilt seeping through.

"Then I'll take it easy." Jaune interjected which made Raven bite her lip in thought. "Please. I promise I'll let them know. I promise I'll go see the doctor. Just one more day."

She let out a defeated sigh looking at him with the most conflicted look ever. "Fine, but if it happens again, I will be calling. I want you to take it easy, if you need a break, take it, I won't ask. If you feel something is wrong, you tell me right away." She gave a sharp finger point. "Don't push yourself, I don't care for what reason. Are we clear?"

 _Damn, she lays down the law._ He nodded with a smile. Raven still didn't look the least bit happy about this. She stood up giving him a hand which he took, helping him up to his feet. They headed towards the bandroom. "I'm sorry." She said quietly looking forward.

Jaune looked at her sympathetically. "You and I didn't know. Don't worry about it." Raven just nodded absent mindedly as if she were thinking on something to say, but the words just couldn't be formed. As they approached the foyer they could hear a snare and bass drum playing Eight on a Hand.

Raven opened up the door, holding it open as Jaune headed over to his quads. Tapping his foot with their beat, he joined as Raven tapped for them absent-mindedly.

They warm up after warm up, starting off nice and slow an easy pace. Each repetition increased in tempo. It just kept on going, kept getting faster, muscles were being pushed. Arms, shoulders, wrists, and fingers were getting cramped. It would just repeat. Eight on Hand, Triplet Roles, Double Tap, Flam Flam, Project X, and Jaune's favorite, Musicolio.

TAP. He held attention standing still. He could see Raven scan over them. An hour worth of warm ups caused his chops to be extremely sore, but he wouldn't give in. He noted several times when Raven would watch over him with extra attention. "At ease." She held her sticks by her side, her hand slightly twitching. _Is she still sore about earlier?_ Jaune wondered as placed his sticks back in their holster. "Alright, we're going to linking up with Weiss. You can all set up..." Jaune noted how her eyes shifted towards him. "and take a fifteen."

From the corner of his eyes, he could see Cardin and Russell approach as Raven tapped on the grind with her drumsticks. To the untrained eye, people would think that she is off in her own little musical world. However, he could tell that she was listening intently. He felt a big hand slap him on the back. "You had us scared back there Jaune."

Russell took Jaune's quads as he asked "what happened back there mate?"

Jaune shrugged. "Guys, I was really out of shape." Trying to dismiss their concern.

"Eating too many twinkies?" Russell chuckled as they went through the door into the band room.

"Guys seriously, it wasn't anything. If it were, you'd be the first to know."

Russell set the quads down, crossing his arms disbelievingly. "What wasn't anything?" Everyone turned to face the Weiss who had been apparently listening in.

"Jauney had us scared shitless." Cardin said he patted Jaune's back a little too roughly for his liking. _Wow, no snide remark, no retort, no nastiness at all... What the hell is going on?_

Weiss looked rather deeply concerned as she held her arms against herself. "What happened?"

Russell set down the quads "We were running laps and Jaune almost passed out." His tone didn't sound demeaning in the least bit _Strange._

The large, muscular boy went down to the main level munched on a few doughnuts and was joined by his green, Mohawk friend, giving Jaune some breathing room as he sat on one of the tiers behind his Quads.

He could hear light footsteps behind him. He looked up to be greeted with a concerned Weiss who stood over him. He waved his hand gesturing for her to sit if she wanted, which she obliged as the door to the foyer opened up to reveal Raven walking in. He turned to look at her as she walked back towards her brother's office. _Is she going to call? She said she wouldn't_

' _She lied.'_

 _She wouldn't though. She promised._

' _Expecting people to live up to promises?'_

 _Yes. Especially her. She wouldn't._

"Feeling better?" Jaune shook his head, breaking his train of thought as he looked over to Weiss who was eyeing him over as she wrapped her arms around her legs.

"Yeah. I'm good." _Ya know besides having almost a heart attack. Just peachy._ He could see white-haired girl slowly shaking her head from the corner of his eye as he watched the other two percussionists making a literal mess of all of the food. He mentally lamented at the fact that he was going to have to probably clean that. _Fun._

"If you don't mind me asking, but what happened?"

 _It was no big deal_ He tried to reassure himself.

' _Not being able breathe? Your heart feeling like it was going to blow up? No big deal indeed.'_

 _Shut it._ He settled himself, balling his hand into a fist, squeezing as tight as he could. "Just... felt light headed.. That's all." He felt a nudge on his shoulder as she scooted over to him tapping him with her own shoulder causing him to focus on her.

She rolled her eyes "Right." Her disbelief made him smile which made her get even more flustered. "What are you smiling for?" She asked indignantly.

"Ahh, nothing." He chuckled which received a sharp poke in the side.

"Jaune. Talk." He looked into her eyes and for the first moment of his life he was kinda scared of the petite girl.

"Honestly, I don't know what happened, but it'll get checked out. I promise." She held out her pinky.

"Pinky promise?" Jaune nodded as he wrapped his pinky around her own. "You're going to tell me when you find out." Jaune sighed realized he was not going to be able to argue about it.

"Trust me…. You'll be the first know…."

"Good." at that Raven finally emerged from the office. Her red eyes shifting towards Jaune and Weiss, causing her to smile for the first time after the "freak out."

"We ready to get started?" She asked as she tapped her sticks. Her gaze shifted towards the table which was a mess, juice spilled all over place, chunks and crumbs of all over the table. She looked at culprits "You two are cleaning that up before Qrow gets here." She tapped her stick on the podium. "Come on Come on Come on, we've got a lot to do."

She set the tempo as Jaune tapped off for everyone. Two long hours of going over show music. Fixing Weiss' speed, helping Russell with sticking, making sure Cardin was using intonation, and stick flips for Jaune. Jaune's mind was going numb as the comfort of muscle memory took over. He almost missed it when Qrow walked in with a smile on his face, standing beside his sibling listening as Raven was whispering something in his ear. That smile slowly shifted as their eyes shifted towards Jaune which made him go off beat. Qrow gestured for her to follow him to his office.

Raven nodded as she whirled her hand in a lasso motion meaning keep playing.

* * *

Jaune was tired. Exhausted. Beat. Whatever it was, he was out of it. They finished their last rehearsal before, the truck was loaded with the extra helping hand of Raven who watched over him nonstop. "You feeling alright?" She asked as she held the door open for Jaune who was the last to enter the building.

"Yeah I'm fine." _Gosh I'm not a flipping cripple._ He wanted to add in. However, something was nagging him. _Did you tell anyone? Did you tell Qrow? Did you tell my parents? Did you stab me in the back?_

"You want to know if I told anyone, don't you?" She said as if she were almost guilty of it. Jaune crossed his arms already irritated with the suspected answer.

"I had to, he's the band director, he needs to know the condition of the all of the members. However, I made him promise to not notify your parents." She pinched her nose in frustration. "I told him I was responsible, and if anything were to happen, I am solely responsible."

He ticked, but he nodded. ' _She stabbed you in the back.'_

 _No, she feels guilty._ He corrected himself. "We don't even know what's wrong, I could be fine."

She shook her head sullenly. "No. I made you all run laps. I was responsible."

"It isn't your fau-"

She held up her hand, she looked annoyed, beyond annoyed by this point. "It doesn't matter. I told Qrow, he's holding off for now, and you're lucky I was able to do that for you. However, the same orders apply. I want you checked up by the beginning of the week. Just in case. No more debating. Are we clear?" Her words were punctual and precise, there was no mistaking in her intent, she was dead serious.

He nodded slowly rather stunned. She was a hardass but she had heart of gold. She smiled as she closed the door behind her. "Now go get some food. Remember-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." He rolled his eyes but couldn't help but to smile. Jaune opened the door and held it open for his instructor who walked past everyone. Jaune scanned the room, Skye and Dove were in the storage room messing around in the band room. Fox was in the back, sleeping up against the wall, earbuds tuning out of the room. Weiss and Velvet were up against the wall on the opposite side of the room towards the front.

That's when he noted that Weiss was waving him over. He wasn't planning on being social, in reality, all he wanted was to sleep. _That's what bus rides are for_. The voice reminded him as he walked over to the two girls who were eating. Weiss patted the ground right beside her which he obliged to sit. "Jaune, I know you know Velvet, but I figure I might as well acquaint both of you." She gave a small hand gesture to Velvet.

"Hello." She offered her hand which Jaune shook.

"Hey."

"So you're the one who's been helping with Cardin and Russell?" Jaune nodded in confirmation. "Well, I don't see how you're friends with those two jerks." She scowled at Jaune making him recoil slightly.

"Velvet…" Weiss warned.

"It's true. You're wondering what he sees in them." She reasoned.

 _More friends the better. More friends, less attention to myself._ Velvet wasn't wrong. The two were kind of jerks. However, sacrifices need to be made sometimes. "I'm trying to help Weiss?" He sounded unsure of himself which didn't impress the drum major.

"Helping Weiss by being friends with her bullies?" She crossed her arms. _Why now….. Why Velvet…_

Jaune pinched his nose in frustration looking at the girl. "Listen. I know it's not ideal, but I'm hoping that I can bridge the gap between her and them and we can solve whatever the problem is. So yes, I'm friends with them, I'm friends with Weiss. I'm hoping they will be friends with her." _That way I don't have to deal with all of the childishness of all of this._

Velvet bit her lip thinking this over. She nodded, but in a hushed voice she said "If you hurt her…."

Jaune smiled sincerely, touched by her friends sincerity. "Velvet, I promise I won't."

She looked at him, smile returning. "Good, well then. I'm your friend too."

Jaune looked towards Weiss questioningly, "So where Cardin and Russell?"

 ***SLAM* *SLAM* *SLAM*** "Auxiliary Gym; they're playing basketball with Coco and Yatsuhashi."

 ***THUD* *THUD* *SLAM*** _Sounds like a_ ***BAAAANNNNNGGGGG*** _warzone…._ He managed to think to himself. Weiss practically jumped as the door slammed open revealing a defeated and exhausted Cardin and Russell who slugged through the room. Behind them came a smirking Coco looking down from her shades, at the the two boys. "Punks need to learn their spot, right Yatsu?" She held out a hand for a low five.

The towering oriental boy simply nodded returning the five, still remaining calm and collected. By then another ***SSSSLLLLAAAAMMMMM*** emerged from the band room. An irate Qrow came storming into the band room followed by a Raven peeking out from his office with an amused smirk. "I swear! CAN I NOT EAT MY MEAL IN PEACE?!"

Coco didn't bat an eyelash as she shot the same look to the band director. "We were playing basketball….."

"Did you break anything?" Qrow asked, not backing down.

"Nope." Coco stood her ground.

Qrow's anger instantly dissipated "Well good on ya. Carry on, you all have thirty minutes till the bus comes. Be in half uniform five minutes early." Everyone acknowledged as he headed back into his office.

* * *

*Band Office*

"You big softy you." She smiled as she took a bite out of her Baja chicken wrap as she swirled around opening the fridge in his office. She pulled out a bottle of water, while tossing another one to her brother.

He caught effortlessly as he kicked his legs up on the desk as he cracked it open and took a sip. "I figure why not. They need some time to unwind." His smile quickly faded as she knew something troubled him.

"What's on your mind?" She guessed as she put her wrap down.

He leaned back in his chair slowly tapping his chin thought of a scowl over taking his thoughts. "We should call his parents or at least take him out of the performance."

"Qrow it'll be fine. I'll make sure he doesn't over do it." Raven patted him on the shoulder which only made him grunt in acknowledgment. "Besides, his parents will be there. If we need to, we can tell them there."

A moment of silence hanged in the air as he took his feet off of his desk. "I'm taking him off the performance." He said finally.

She clenched her fist in anger. _I promised him._ "Qrow. Don't." She growled. Sure she got angry, but she never really did towards her twin brother.

"Raven… it's his health. I can't-"

"I don't CARE! I PROMISED HIM." She raised her voice standing up staring her brother down as she felt her fist shake as she tried to compose herself. Qrow stared at her eyes wide shock.

She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes as she exhaled as she sat down. "Listen, Qrow. I promise you that nothing happens. If something does they have ambulances there, but I'll take him down there personally." Their crimson eyes locked onto one another. "I'll look after him as if he was my own, I swear."

Qrow pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration letting out a sigh. "You are putting so much faith into him. Are you sure it's worth it?"

There was never any second guessing, no hesitation. She nodded. "He is."

Qrow could only nod in thought, she decided it was time to change the subject. "Anyone we should be worried about competing with?"

Without saying a word, he tapped his laptop screen bringing up the Cavalcade of Bands competition participants. The first one on the list was Newport School District, West Pine's arch rival in everything. The bands were especially competitive. Beating them would help improve their odds for funding. However, they weren't to be trifled with. "Shit." She cursed.

"Yeah…."

* * *

 _That day, that practice was probably one of the most fundamentally life-changing events in my life. That was when I learned something, you can mentally push yourself to defeat your own body. That the more you push and push and push, something will give, something will break._

 _It's amazing how fragile the human body is. We think we are a dominant species, we build and destroy on such a grand scale that nothing in the history of the Earth can compare. We think we are unstoppable with science and technology._

 _Heh, and something like stress shows how truly vulnerable we are…. Odd. However, I believe that even the high and mighty must come crashing down at some point. I know for a fact that Raven still holds it against herself to this day, even after all of the insurances I have given. Ridiculous but admirable. We all have to let biology and nature take it's course in the great scheme of things._

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Heya guys new chapter! I also thought this was meh chapter but it was absolutely essential cause of part 2 of the chapter.**

 **Sooooo all these things happened….. So I want to give you guys a heads up. Due to the nature of this story we are going to have some time skips cause I can't write each day for the eight years. That being said, certain areas will have be covered in great detail. That being said, if there is an intro and an outro, they will help to explain or hint at the what happened in between the gap.**

 **So let's get into the chapter… First thing is first... Taiyang... smooth bro... smooth... Raven is kinda on edge it seems like? This competition has a lot riding on it. If they don't pass welp… bye bye Band, and the Branwens love their band, so that would put a lot pressure on things.**

 **Some Weiss and Raven? Is Weiss going to start to open to Raven? Do you think Raven knows what's been going on with Cardin and Russell? Welp…. Speaking of those two goofing off and making Raven kind of pissed off already. You don't waste her time, no way, she ain't goin to have it apparently. Then there's Jaune….. Something happened…. Was it nothing? Is he just out of shape? Or something else? Beats me. More importantly, Raven noticed and she feels… well apparently pretty shitty, good on her for being well… herself. One more thing….. Cardin and Russell weren't bashing on Weiss, I wonder why *rubs chin in deep thought***

 **Jaune and Velvet? Why the heck not. Although Velvet seems to have even more of a bite.**

 **Now Raven and Qrow, very close siblings…. Just had a disagreement, and Raven… well she has a nasty temper. Huh… I don't like it when she gets angry :/**

 ***DISCLAIMER* So RWBY 4, we are starting to get some info on some certain characters *cough* Raven *cough* That being said, whatever RT has planned for the character, I want to stress this: My Raven will not change if the two version do not line up. My Raven will stay my Raven no matter what. I won't go into thoughts of the character until later. If you have any questions, please feel free to pm me and I'll be happy to discuss it :D**

 **Does Shaded have anything**

 **Shaded: not really. It's a good chapter with some interesting reveals. Pay attention peeps.**

 **Sauron: Well fair enough I suppose. Shaded knows things *gasp* What does he know? Does Brandon have anything to say?**

 **Brando: Your friendly neighborhood meme machine here who just had an awesome Friday night _ but regardless super excited for Forlorn to continue on and really excited for the coming years lots of twists and turns and tons of feels to come.**

 **Sauron: Only the dankest of meme machines are allowed in here….. But for real, I'm super excited for the upcoming story arcs. Speaking of which...**

 ****DISCLAIMER** After Part 2, We'll be halfway done with Year 1. Also…. I can't wait for Year 2 bahahaha.**

 **REVIEWS**

 **Yukas: He hey hey buddy good to see that you liked the chapter. So you're on board of the different perspectives? Awesome :D**

 **That scene? Yeah…. I had fun writing it. White Knight? Psht you crazy xD I plead the fifth!**

 **Hope you like the chapter!**

 **Cpt Lynx: Hey buddy! Good to see you as always. You give me too much credit :D**

 **However, I do appreciate it. Hopefully this chapter was alright. Thanks for the reivew!**

 **Wes: Wes! BUDDY! *HUG* How you've been? I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. Hopefully this was an alright chapter xD.**

 **Convix: How's it going Convix! Oh trust me, there will always be some new information (at least hopefully)**

 **Shipping? *waves hand at Convix* I have nooooo idea what you're talking about. :D Hopefully you still are enjoying the story and the chapter.**

 **AlNation: Hey buddy, you got my private message. However I'll just say this for everyone sake. Bullying takes a great many forms, and all of those will be looked at. Take that as you will. (Pssst…. AlNation I know I already told you this but I figure this is the easiest way :D)**

 **Good pointing that out mate! Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **Xerzo: Hey mate! How's it going. Just waiting for the ball to drop bahahaha. I plead the fifth! 8 years of happiness is totally a thing…. In happy disney movies bahahahaha I don't think that's what this is though *shrugs innocently***

 **All I can say is just wait for the Year 2, things are going to happen. A lot of things.**

 **Guy: Glad you like the story. Warming up to Weiss… so cute huh? And Raven? Well Raven. Enough said.**

 **Operator Blake: I do need to apologize for the slip ups, hopefully this chapter will be better now that full roster of editors is running. As for ships? I have no idea what you're talking about *smiles innocently?***

 **Hopefully you liked the chapter. Thanks for the review mate! It is always appreciated.**

 **Archer1eye: a wild Archer has slipped into the process. I'm here for reasons of later importance. Pay no mind to the man behind the curtain until things look… suspicious.**


	9. Chapter 9: Mind vs Body Part 2

**Chapter 9: Mind vs. Body Part 2**

 _Competitions. I always found them relaxing. Competing was something I find peaceful. Whether it was in band or a video game back in my youth. The feeling of dominating another, the feeling of victory was always euphoric. It felt like you could control anything and everything. It made you feel like you control your fate, your destiny._

 _Why wouldn't it? If you are so so accustomed to a certain outcome, we don't expect things to go another way. During that time, I thought the same way. I thought life was predictable, and that was comfortable. My very first competition proved me so incredibly wrong._

* * *

Jaune watched from the window as the bands from across the state formed up in any open plot of parking lot they could find. A sea of brightly colored plumes, uniforms, and flags surrounded the parking lot with large clusters of shiny brass.

He watched color guard repeat routines, bands stretching and marching, drumlines warming up. It was rather impressive. However, he noticed that he was incredibly far far far away for the competition sight. The stadium was off pretty decent distance. He was by the chocolate factory gift shop that was about half a mile from the stadium.

Hershey Stadium was massive. Gigantic, parking lot was reserved for bands to warm up, and none of that space was wasted, all two and a half square miles of parking lot. The actual stadium was packed with people from what he could observe. Jaune never saw so many people in his life so tightly clustered around one area. One stadium.

The bus came to a stop and shut off while Qrow stood up from his seat towering over everyone. After a few moments the bus fell silent as all of the chatter stopped immediately. "You know what's on the line." He paused a moment looking over everyone confidently. ""We need to play our heart and soul today. We need to give this our all. If we fail, you can all say goodbye to band. DO WE WANT THAT?!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.

"NO WE DON'T!" Everyone shouted in unison.

"That's right. You may or may not have heard but Newport is here... and you all know if we beat them, it's just one more to the record! CAN WE DO THAT?!" He called out.

"YES WE CAN!" Jaune shouted with everyone else.

"Alright awesome. Everyone get their uniforms and meet up by the truck." He went back to his seat watching as everyone went to grab their uniforms. Jaune grabbed his bag and unzipped it, pulling out the black and green top. Jaune wasn't too impressed with the uniform designer, making the zipper in the back was just plain annoying. Thankfully Weiss and Velvet were behind him.

"Hold still." Weiss ordered as he stopped fidgeting. She took him by the back and zipped him up. Jaune nodded in appreciation as he returned the favor, zipping Weiss' uniform for her as Weiss did Velvet's. The three were clad in their clean black and green uniforms looking as if they belong to some kind of napoleonic army. They waited as everyone filed out of the bus including Cardin and Russell. "Jaune I want to talk to you real quick." Qrow said somewhat darkly which prompted him to sit back down.

Jaune exchanged looks with a concerned Velvet and Weiss as they exited the bus. Qrow walked down the aisle sitting in the opposite of Jaune. The two men looked at each other, the elder looking him over tapping his chin in thought. "Jaune, I know what happened today."

Jaune closed his eyes leaning his head up against the window in annoyance. "Against my better judgement, I'm going to let you compete. However, I need a doctor's note for next practice" His frown grew deeper "...or I can't let you do anything. I hope you can understand."

"Yessir." He muttered at the window bitterly

"I'm sorry." Qrow muttered as he left the bus. After a few moments, he inhaled deeply and with a heavy heart, Jaune grabbed his shaco in his hands and trudged off of the bus where Weiss was waiting for him. "Where's Velvet?" He asked with a smile, but his eyes betrayed his true feelings.

"Taking Brass and Woodwind to warm up." Weiss answered as the two headed over to the truck. He could see that she was looking him over occasionally. "So what happened?"

"...Nothing" Jaune tried to ease her concern.

Weiss turned to face him, glaring at him. "Stop pulling that card and just tell me already." She snapped back as she stopped walking, crossing her arms over her chest.

' _Just buzz off'_ He thought to himself.

 _Nope we aren't doing that_ , he countered immediately. "I can't be in the band until I'm cleared by a doctor." He said as he kept on walking.

"Well it's the right thing to do…"

"Weiss…. Can we just drop it please?" Jaune sighed in annoyance. He instantly regretted being pushed like that but Jaune was not one for lashing out or getting annoyed at people…. Well besides his family.

There was Raven who had driven down separately helping to unpack the trailer. Cardin and Russell, to Jaune's surprise, were helping to unload and even unloaded vibraphone and set it up on the cart. _Good on them._ He smiled.

He felt something in his pocket vibrate. He pulled out his phone quickly seeing he got a message from his mom.

 _M: Where are you? We want to see you before your performance._

The one thought raced through Jaune's mind blocking everything else. _They know….. Raven told them. Qrow told them or maybe Raven... Someone betrayed me._

"Hey buddy! We got your stuff all ready." Cardin said with an unusually upbeat attitude. That snapped his mind back into reality as he looked for the sign of which parking lot they were in. He could barely make it out.

 _J: Parking lot F-7._ He put his phone away as he saw Cardin walk up to the two of them. "Don't worry Weiss, we've got you all set up too." What _the hell is going on here?_

Apparently it also threw Weiss off as well. "Uhh t-thanks… Cardin and Russell?"

"Hey everyone." Raven called out, crossing her arms standing proudly tall. "Grab your harnesses and suit up. We're playing the cadence to the warm spot." Jaune went off to his instrument, slipping over the black harness. He picked up his quads and locked them onto the two latches. He pushed down making sure his instrument was secured. Russell and Cardin were already lined up with Weiss leading the front. Raven was standing by him. "You sure you can do this? I can carry it."

He gave a wave of the hand as he hid his clenched teeth through a smile. Off in the distance he could see his parents with a few other parents. They all stood around, keeping their distance. His mom waved which caused him to return the favor. Raven raised an eyebrow and turned to look.

Raven knew as she returned the wave and headed over to them. _SHIT._ He tried to listen in, but he was too far away. They all shook hands and moved closer to the drumline. _Just introductions then…_ He tried to reason to himself.

"Look at Jaune!" His mom exclaimed taking a picture of her son in a uniform.

"A real professional." His dad slapped him on the back, a tone of pride overcoming him. Raven smiled at the three of them. "I'm so proud of you son."

At that Raven decided it was time to get going. "Attention!" Their instructor called out. Jaune immediately snapped to attention, facing forward, chin 90 degrees from the ground, feet together, sticks out in attention. "Mark. TIME MARK!" She called out proudly from the side as Russell started the tap off for the cadence.

Jaune felt his hands react off of pure instinct now. His hand deftly gliding around his four drums, not missing a single beat as they marched a rather impressive distance to their assigned practice area, as Raven stuck close by, ever watchful.

After a ten minute march and about five run throughs of the cadence, she jogged to the front of the small column as she held up her fist signaling for the column to stop. The tractor already awaiting them. They kept in time as they marched in place finishing the final repetition ***TAP.*** Everyone landed on the same beat as they stood absolutely still.

After a minute or so she said "At ease." causing Jaune to sheathe his sticks and place his harness and drums attached, on the ground. Jaune looked off to see the other bands around them, relatively speaking they were in an isolated area. Except for one band, specifically drumline. The blue and white uniforms off Newport's Marching Buffalos who seemed to be on break. "Take five everyone." Raven called out as she headed over towards the Buffalo's own percussion drumline and their instructor.

He looked over to his parents who were smiling, his dad giving him a thumbs up which made him smile even more. "Hey, do you guys want to start getting warmed up?" Russell asked. _The world is ending._

"Sure. Only if you two are down." Cardin noted looking at Jaune and Weiss. _What the hell._ Jaune and Weiss exchanged looks of confusion and dismay but nodded succinctly. Jaune moved beside Russell while Weiss quickly hopped on her cart and pulled out her own mallets.

"Jaune tap us off." Russell ordered. The blonde looked over at everyone, seeing they were ready. ***TAP tap tap tap TAP tap tap tap TAP tap TAP tap TAP TAP*** They tapped eight beats on a hand while Weiss did the same only going up the keyboard. Jaune held his fist up, saying last repetition while he tapped off again slightly faster. So on and So on.

Off in the distance, he could see Raven walking back with an elderly man followed behind was the Marching Buffaloes all harnessed up, their white plumes on top of their cavalier hats, flowing in the air. He could tell how the two instructors must have known each other as they were smiling and laughing as the opposing drumline marched formed a line facing them. In front of Jaune was a tall girl with stunning emerald eyes, and a long free flowing crimson ponytail tucked underneath the cavalier, cascading down her back to her waist. And she was staring right at him. _Why is she looking right at me?_

Then again something felt familiar about her…. Something was just…. Off. Raven held up her fist. ***TAP*** As he snapped to attention looking straight ahead at the girl who was staring right at him.

"Pyrrha. Tap off." The Buffalo instructor ordered. She nodded stoically as she stared right at Jaune as she tapped off her own quads. _Is she smiling?_

Their warm up was rather impressive. Eight on a hand, with rolls between each switch off. With a Rim shot on the every first, fourth, and eighth beat. The tempo kept on increasing in speed as the redhead drove it forward.

After several repetitions, the elder man held up his fist. ***TAP*** The red snapped her sticks down at her side, staring ahead.

"Not bad Watz." Raven complimented.

This Watz character wrinkled his nicely kept mustache. "Not bad? I was the one who taught you. Remember who is the master here." A tone of light heartedness was evident in the old man's voice.

"Yeah…. Well even the masters have to be replaced at some point." Raven shot back with a confident smirk.

"Yeah… Yeah… Take ten everyone." Watz said as he and Raven kept on talking. The redhead took off her cavalier hat, allowing for her red hair flow freely. She removed her harness. Most of the other guys from Buffalo were gathered around, but this redhead was staring right at him.

"You know, you probably would be more comfortable if you took that off…." She giggled with a sly smile. Her voice was confident yet hushed. Jaune stood there blinking. _Why is she talking to me?_ Was the only thing he could think. She cocked her head questioningly which prompted to quickly remove his drum. "How you've been?" She smiled as she hugged him.

 _W-W-W-W-W-Whaaaaaa?_ Jaune couldn't process any of this as he could hear snickers from Cardin. She broke away looking at him confused. "Jaune?"

"Uhhh….. Hi…?" Did she really know him? Since when? Did she really just hug him? "I'm sorry…? I… uhh….?"

The redheaded didn't seem offended one bit. She giggled who was smiling at the helpless blonde. "I don't expect you would remember me, we went to the same church, we took Sunday School together." She said as if she remembering a fond memory.

"Sunday School? I'm sorry, I should apologize, I just don't remember."

She waved a hand dismissing the apology. "We didn't really talk that much, don't worry about it. It's not like we go to church all the time either." Cardin came up to Jaune and froze looking at the newcomer.

"Pyrrha?" He asked rather stunned.

"Cardin?" She said in the same exact tone. Without any hesitation, she hugged him. _What the hell is going on here?_ Jaune blinked. This was almost getting to be too much for him. He looked over to Weiss who didn't look the least bit happy. "How have both of you been? It's been years! For both of you."

"I'm doing good." Cardin jumped in looking over the redhead. "My have the years treated you nicely." Jaune wasn't going crazy, he thought he saw the redhead blush. Cardin flirting? _It's the end of the world._ Was the only explanation he could come up with.

"Me? What about you? You're looking good." She complimented looking him up and down which made the muscular boy smirk confidently

Jaune cleared his throat making the two flirting birds. "Sooo… How do you two know each other?"

"We used to go to the same summer camp as kids." Pyrrha responded instantly with a smile. "You know... at some point we should all hangout and get caught up."

"Pyrrha!" Mr. Watz called out. The redhead craned her neck looking over to her band instructor. "Let's get moving, we're heading back." The redhead nodded as she picked up her quads.

"Goodluck guys, nice seeing both of you." She smirked as she took out her sticks tapping the smallest drum. The blue clad people formed a line behind the redhead. "Mark. Time Mark." ***TAP, Tap, Tap, Tap, TAP, Tap Tap Tap, TAP.** * The blue clad buffaloes marched off leaving a very stunned and shocked Jaune. That was the strangest thing he could have felt.

"Well then… that was… weird?" Jaune muttered earning a chuckle from Cardin. "Who would have guessed she was in band? Small world." He grinned.

"Well Pine County is comparatively small to the rest of the state." Jaune reasoned to himself. He unlatched his quads from his harness and carried them over to his stand noticing Weiss staring at him.

"So who was that?" She asked as he latched the harness to the stand as he pushed down making sure it was secure. Satisfied he turned to face the white-haired girl.

He couldn't tell if she was actually curious or defensive. So he decided to play it casually. "Oh her? That was Pyrrha, she used to go to my church. We haven't seen each other in a long time."

Weiss raised an eyebrow crossing her arms with a small smirk. "Oh really? And why is that?"

 _Why is she asking these questions…._ "Uhhh? We stopped going to church for the most part, we were never really friends, to be honest." Weiss simply nodded which was kind off settling for the blonde, he just couldn't get a read on her.

She clicked her sticks together multiple times."Project X." She called out as she walked back towards the cart. Jaune unlatched his quads from his carrier and moved them to their stands. "So we got about half an hour to warm up before we meet up with the band." She looked everyone over as they stood behind their instruments. "SET." She called out causing everyone to snap to attention. Looking straight ahead, he could see the long red hair of the new acquaintance.

She tapped the tempo off for everyone. ***TAP***

Increasing the temp after each repetition, Jaune's forearms starts to get even more tense as the they switched to different warmups. He could feel his arms start to cramp after "x" was raised. From the corner from Jaune's eye, he could see Velvet leading the band while Qrow stood beside his sibling watching the drumline warmup.

"How's he doing." He whispered as he watched over the drumline.

His sister glanced over. "He's stubborn. I assume you laid down the law."

The Band Director could only nod, his smile fading away. "You did what you have to do." Was the only thing she said. ***TAP*** "At ease." She called out as she turned to whisper in Qrow's ear. "Just remember, this is the only thing he has…"

Qrow could only as clapped his hands together getting the band's attention. "Velvet line everyone up in a U shape around me. Percussion is fine where they are."

After the run through of the show band formed a line, color guard leading the column, followed by woodwinds, brass, percussion then the tractor with Weiss. Jaune fidgeted with his harness. It was about a twenty minute march from their practice lot to the stadium. He could hear Velvet making her way down the line, followed by Qrow, than Raven. Each one giving a fist bump.

Velvet made her way to Jaune hanging her fist out. "Good luck, don't suck."

He couldn't help but grin as he returned the fist. "Good luck, don't suck." He offered back.

Qrow came up he held up his fist with an almost guilty look in his eyes.. "Good luck, don't suck." Jaune returned the fist.

Raven followed up behind offering her fist. "Good luck, you won't suck." She gave a confident smirk. He nodded in appreciation as he returned the fist.

A few moments later Qrow called out "Band. ATTENTION!" Jaune snapped his feet together while pulling his sticks out. "MARK. TIME. MARK." The instructor called out. He marched in place as the cadence started to play. He looked straight ahead as the line slowly moved forward as he was playing his part in time with Russell and Cardin.

The march was long. He could feel his heart slowly rising in tempo the longer they marched. He could see his parents from the corner from his his eyes, keeping some distance from the band and themselves. He also noted Raven was moving beside them.

The sound of his quads, snare, and bass drowned out their entire conversation.

* * *

Raven kept walking ahead but close enough to his parents. "You must be proud of him." She said casually, trying to keep the disdain out of her voice. His mom spoke as she looked over to her son.

"We are. We're so happy that he is actually out of the house and making something out of his life."

She nodded understanding what it was find joy in the accomplishment of their child. Yang had gained a reputation of being ruthless at sports, especially soccer. She had loved the sport for years, and Raven made sure to attend all the games she had . Each victory made Yang smile even more which only made her share in her daughter's happiness. Maybe they weren't such bad people. _I mean they are here to watch their son's first performance, and a very important performance at that._ However, she couldn't free all of her self from all suspicion, she had dealt with the same song and dance.

"He really does love it." Raven agreed. "He loves the uniformity, the professionalism, the order that the band provides." She couldn't help but jibe at them. However it didn't get noticed.

"Well of course he does, He's an Arc. Arc are military men." Anthony Arc proclaimed proudly. That made Raven eyebrow rise ever so slightly. "He may not want to join the army, but he enjoys the order behind the military, it's in his blood."

Raven had to grit her teeth, as she clenched her fist. _He enjoys the order because of the unpredictability of alcoholic parents. I would know._ She mentally spat at the man. She exhaled slowly, regaining her composure. "Either way." She could hear the edginess of her voice, thankfully they didn't notice. "He's good at what he does. You should be proud of him." She noted as they up to the gate of the band. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to use the regular guest entrance to the stadium, this is only for bands."

"Thank you." Josephine Arc nodded towards her son instructor.

Mr. Arc offered his hand which Raven promptly took and shook confidently, watching the two Arcs she let out a sigh, her temper almost got the worst of her. She knew she shouldn't judge, she didn't have the full story behind their family, but how couldn't she? Getting drunk? neglecting their child? Beating them? Worse? All of these things, she couldn't tolerate, she couldn't fathom, but for now, she buried it mostly for Jaune's sake.

* * *

Jaune kept marching as they played their cadence onto the field. They started marching towards the gate. They marched towards the sideline, the tractor following behind as the rest of the band marched towards the end zone, lining up by the end zone of the field. Simultaneously, the two lines march towards towards the centerfield as the Cadence continued to be played. Velvet leading the percussion, held her fist up signaling them to stop as she climbed elevated stage. The drumline quickly unharnessed themselves as they took their tripods and set up their drums on their stands.

Jaune could hear his heart pounding through his head, it felt like it was going to pop out of his chest. He slowly inhaled and exhaled as his heart slowly started to settle down. Velvet stuck her thumb out to the side looking questioningly as Weiss returned a thumbs up. "Welcome West Pine Marching Mustang Band who will be performing their show: Microburst. Band director is Qrow Branwen while Percussion Instructor is Raven Branwen. Drum major is Velvet Scarlatina."

There was brief pause over the speakers that filled the stadium. "Are the judges ready."

A brief pause. "The judges are ready. Drum Major Scarlatina, is your band ready?"

Velvet turned around sharply, giving a crisp simple salute. "West Pine Marching Band you may take the field in competition."

Jaune gulped. No pressure. No pressure. _Showtime._ He watched Velvet's hands come down, _Let's go._

* * *

Jaune's heart was pounding. Pounding through his chest as he started to fill a little light headed. He held his breath as his heart was fluttering. He inhaled and exhaled deeply trying to settle his nerves. _This isn't normal._ He panted as dropped his harness to the ground in front of the truck as he gasped for air.

"Here, take this." Raven handed him a water bottle. "Sit." She demanded. She waved everyone over to the truck. Jaune could see the looks that Cardin, Russell and Weiss shared when they looked at him and it made him sick to the stomach.

"You guys did well." She smiled trying to push the attention off of Jaune. "I wouldn't be surprised if we managed to beat Newport." She smiled looked around her group. "Now help him back up the trailer and you all can get out of uniform and have the rest of the day to yourselves."

Jaune attempted to lift himself up as everyone watched, which was met with a forceful hand making him sit. "You sit. We've got this." Jaune grunted as he sat there watching as his friends helped to back up the trailer. As everyone went about their business, he couldn't help but notice people look at him differently. He couldn't help but feel that they were looking down at him and that bothered him. A great deal.

He rested his head on his knees when Weiss plopped down right beside him looking over him concernedly. "How are you feeling?"

"Weiss, seriously I'm fine." He insisted maybe a little too harshly.

The two sat in silence watching and Cardin and Russell put their belongings away. "Jaune." Raven called out from around the truck. Jaune stood up and looked around to be greeted by his parents. "Your parents are here to pick you up. Go on, get changed, you don't want to keep them waiting." He wanted to stay though. He wanted to know if they made it. He wanted to know if there was going to be a band. However, the look in Raven's eye told him that she wasn't going to budge on this. He looked over to his parents.

His dad looked proud as he stood behind his mother, hands on her shoulder. His mom, hands clasped together as a tear comes down his cheek. He felt he was able to do something he never really could. He felt their love for him, true genuine love that embraced his hopeful success.

"Don't worry." Weiss came behind him. "I'll text you what happens."

Jaune shoulder's slumped. "Thanks." He muttered as he headed back to the bus to get out of his uniform and head home.

* * *

The car ride was relatively quiet. Of course his parents congratulated him, asked him questions. They wanted to see how he was doing, if he was happy. To be honest, he couldn't possibly know until he got the news.

They walked into the house as Jaune took off his shoes put them behind the rocking chair in the living room. "Mom… Dad…" He called out as his mom was busy in the kitchen making food as his dad got Jaune a drink. They both froze hearing his tone.

"I think I need to go to the doctor." He muttered quietly.

"What?" His mom stopped what she was doing as his dad straightened up.

Jaune sat down on the recliner in the dining room. "Well you see…I don't know…. But my heart has been acting up all day. It was pounding so hard that I couldn't breathe, It was… bad…" He shook head slowly. "Real bad."

His dad handed him a cup of juice. "Did your instructors know about this?"

For a moment time slowed down. If he said yes, his dad was going to chew them out. Heck, maybe even sue them for keeping a medical concern quiet. If he said, he would get chewed out. "No." He responded simply.

"Jaune you should have told them… something like that can be serious…" His mom said as she moved over to the side retrieving a stethoscope. It was at this moment that he was glad his mom used to be a nurse.

"You should have told them. What you did was reckless and stupid…" His dad towered over him, his prior joy and happiness was replaced by something else.

"Anthony… not now." His mom warned as she took his pulse. His dad just waved them off going to the living room's computer. After a few moment. 105 beats per minute… a little high." She said as if she was thinking. "Well I can't make an appointment tomorrow, but I can make one for Monday."

Jaune nodded as his mother wrapped up the stethoscope. "I'm actually going to call it a night. I'm pretty tired. He stood up and headed towards the hallway. He peered in the living room. "I'm going to call it a night Dad."

Anthony waved him over where he wrapped an arm around Jaune. "You make me proud Jaune, what you did was dangerous but I'm proud. Have a good night. I love you." He gave him a squeeze.

Jaune could only smile as he said. "I love you too." He went towards the hallway and up the stairs to his room. He opened the door and closed it behind him. He quickly changed into a pair of shorts and light t-shirt as he slipped into his bed as he placed his phone on the nightstand.

He closed his eyes as he heard a vibration with a bright light illuminating the room. With a sigh he picked up his phone.

A message.

 _W: We did it! We beat Newport!_ We got placed 3rd in out of our division out of twenty five.

 _J: Nice! Tell everyone I said good job._ He texted back with a smile.

A few minutes passed when his phone vibrated again.

W: Do you mind if I talk to you about something.

He raised his eyebrow. _J: Of course not. What's up?_

Another few minutes.

 _W: I may have gotten a date with someone from Newport, and I don't know what to do about it. I mean I'm socially awkward and he just kinda asked me out… Velvet pressured me to say yes._

Jaune felt strange. He felt a little hurt, a little pang in his heart. A pang that ate at him, and yet, he couldn't pin point why.. With a sigh he texted back J: _Weiss you'll be fine. Have some confidence in yourself and just be yourself. Who knows, you might have fun._

 _W: I just don't want to mess it up…_

 _J: You're over thinking it, just go with the flow._

As he watched it get uploaded to messenger he felt hollow. He felt empty oddly enough. He just couldn't pin the feeling. Something grew in him, something dark. He wanted to throw his phone across the room. _What good would come of that?_ He looked at his phone as it trembled in his hand. He could feel his grip tightening. He closed his eyes trying to compose himself.

 _J: Sorry, I need to call it night, I'm tired._ Which was very true. He felt suddenly exhausted. He put his phone back on the nightstand and failed to see the next message from Weiss as he drifted off to sleep.

 _W: Thanks Jaune, you're right. Let me know how the doctor's go._

* * *

 _It's funny to think how we can control events in our lives. We tend to think that we are the masters of our fate, that we can guide what happens. Life tends to throw a wrench at that theory. I don't know if it was fate meeting Pyrrha that day or just plain coincidence. It was hard to think of why Cardin and Russell were so relaxed towards Weiss as well. Something that I still want to ask them to this day._

 _Then there is Weiss and Neptune. No one could have predicted that. I can assume that she didn't expect meeting him there. Didn't expect him to be trumpet player in Newport's band… yes the same exact band that Pyrrha was in. I'm sure she didn't expect the date that would ensue as I didn't expect her to get a date at the competition._

 _If it's one thing to take out of this story is that life is completely unpredictable. Life has agency, the ability to change what we think and do. Whether this is through some kind of tragedy or meeting new people, getting reacquainted with some distant friends, we are just pawns for life, destiny, or a higher being to act as it sees fit. That was especially true for myself._

 _I used to think I controlled my life, that I can predict where it goes, where it ends. There was comfort in the predictability. I still can't believe how I naive I was to believe that looking back. It take me a very long time to learn that lesson and life would be the greatest teacher of that lesson. Each time I thought I was in control, life would come knocking on my door. That was apparent with the doctor's visit. That was apparent with Summer Incident. Each time life came knocking only cemented my resolve to push back, to show life that I am the master, that I decide my own fate, that I act, and that I take responsibility,_

 _I'm sorry, I'm rambling… I tend to do that in when I get philosophical. Why don't we take a break shall we?_

* * *

A/N

Alright guys….. So some things before we get into the announcements!

Sorry it took me so long, it's been a crazy stressful couple of weeks, but for the most part things have settled down a lot. I wanted to thank you all for the support, it means a great deal and I want to thank you for the motivation.

Now let's get some things straight… Yall going to hate me for pulling that fast one on ya? Weiss x Neptune bahahahahaha…. I'm jerk….

Pyrrha being introduced? Possible Arkos? Bahahahaha, you're funny.

Possible flame knight (or whatever JaunexYang are?) beats me, idk where Yang is…

Other ships? Psht who knows. I don't… Well actually I do… but I won't say.

I still make no comments, all I can say is prepare yourself for the unexpected now. Cause I can guarantee that things will not happen how you think they will. *hopefully building suspense.*

Now before you say the whole Weiss and Neptune things feels sudden, yes, I realize that it may, but it will be explained next chapter.

And Pyrrha? Well probs the last time we'll see her again… or is it? ***Shrugs shoulders***

Oh and Raven met Jaune's parents…. Huh… she didn't seem to impressed… or happy…. I wonder. And now Jaune finally comes out with it, he tells his parents he needs to get checked… I wonder what going to happen there.

And I know the whole texting things seems kinda cheap, but hey they're teenagers, it's what they do. Have to put in there. Sorry guys but it's the reality of things.

Fair warning, next chapter is probs going to be one of the longest of Forlorn so far, and oh boy I'm excited for it! Shit is for real going to go down for some characters.

Shaded are here now maybe? Does he have words of encouragement?

 **Shaded:** It appears as though it is my job to make appearances here to make words and drop hints. Let's just say that sometimes you can't claim someone as a friend until crap has truly hit the fan… sometimes they come back after.

Sauron: Shaded got deep… Heavy stuff man….. I love it!

REVIEWS!

Xerzo: Hey Xerzo what up buddy! I told ya shit was goin to hit the fan… and let me tell you something… It good be good or bad, I don't know (Shrugs innocently with a sinister grin.) And you're right Cardin has been acting fishyyyy…. *stares at Cardin suspiciously* I know disney movies can be happy, so I meant stereotypical, cause the usual sap who watches them are like oh hey happy ending, happy colors, songs and stuff! This ain't any of that xD. As always mate, super appreciated, hope you like this chapter.

Yukas: YUKAS! *hugs* how ya doing! I bet you wanna kill me right after this chapter bahahaha. I give you permission to slap me after pulling that fast one on ya but never fear! Things can always change that's just the nature of life…. Or is it? (bahahaha)

Don't worry bout Jaune cause he always going to have that conflict going on in him. The end result is which side is he going to choose? Harem! HAREM! Nope. xD More Fluff? MORE FLUFF?! Idk if that's going to happen now with Neptune…. (you should start to conspire against him!) Hope you liked the chapter… please don't hurt me….

Cpt. Lynx: LYNX *BRO FIST* Hey buddy! Well you got to see some Pyrrha but the question is… is she coming back? Idk (smiles innocently) and that White Night? We don't talk about that now…. I'm sad… :(

As for you wild guess: No comment. Hope you liked the chapter! As always thanks for the review!

Operator Blake: Why thank you! They try really hard and I appreciate there work. More interaction between Raven and Weiss? Ohhhh don't you worry (that was a test run and I didn't see any objections, so it's going to be a thing)

As for climax…. This ain't anything compared to what is going to happen bahahahahaha. (Smiles innocently) Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for the review

Wes: Buddyyyyy! I feel conflicted RWBY Raven… we'll have to see where that goes. But thanks I like my Raven too xD

Slivergear: Hey mate Thank you.


	10. Chapter 10: A New Reality

**Chapter 10: A New Reality**

 _Hehe sorry about that. I had to get a drink and how do I enjoy the sharp cherry flavor of Code Red. Alright. Where were we?_

 _Oh yes. I remember now. You know…. Going to the doctors was always stressful for me. I never enjoyed check ups, but then again who would? But Freshmen year? That's when my fear started. It was something I could never get over, even to this day._

 _They say the heart is the strongest muscle, it pumps blood 24/7 till we die. It constantly is getting worked from the moment our heart is formed in the womb till it stops beating. Really a miracle of biological evolution or creation. Maybe that's why we attach the feeling of love to the organ. Maybe the two go hand in hand, the strong feelings associated with love with the ever pumping ever strong heart._

 _However I come to realize thinking like that is just foolish. The heart is a pump simple as that, or so I thought. Maybe in reality… our hearts to represent ourselves in a way, but who knows?_

* * *

West Pine Family Practice, the smell made him sick, he could just smell the illness in the waiting room as he picked up a National Geographic magazine. The only good thing about the waiting rooms were the magazines that he enjoyed reading about different places and cultures.

However, he wasn't just ancy. In reality, he should be exhausted, he was up since two in the morning playing Battlefield with Cardin and Russell. The thought made him smirk as he always ended up carrying his squad.

But the gravity of the doctor's office was starting to dawn on him. He wasn't getting a regular check up by his long time favorite Doctor Joe. No, he was meeting with the Cardiologist, Dr. Carruso.

He tried to read his article, something on the Inca Empire's political structure, something that would usually have him fascinated, but he couldn't read it, as his leg kept shaking.

He felt a hand on his leg. "You'll do fine." His dad smiled reassuringly. His mom came down with a clipboard filling it out.

"Jaune can you explain your symptoms?" His mom asked gently as he leaned into the chair putting the magazine down on his lap.

"Gets hard to breathe…" He looked up at the ceiling. "Heart starts to pound…"

"Any chest pain?" His mom asked as she filled out the chart.

"Light headedness?" She asked, to which he nodded.

"Anything else?" Jaune shook his head which prompted his mother to go back to the receptionist and turn in the clipboard. They sat in the lobby for about twenty minutes, Jaune trying to focus on the magazine, but his parent's conversation and the t.v. were just too distracting.

"Jaune Arc." The nurse called out. With a sigh, he stood up with his mother. "Good morning." The nurse greeted with a smile.

"Hello." Jaune replied back as politely as he could. She guided him to the scale. "If you don't mind, I need to get your weight and height." Jaune nodded as he stepped on the scale which read 168 pounds which the nurse quickly recorded on her tablet. He then stood beside the wall along a tall stick that had the feet and inches marked on it. 6' 1"

"If you'll follow me." The nurse said politely as Jaune walked down the hallway with his mother. He could feel each footstep dragging down. Each step feeling like a mile. The nurse opened up a door and gestured for him to sit on the examination bed. "So what are you in for?" The nurse said as she placed her tablet down and went about her business recording basic vitals. After taking his temperature and blood pressure, which she recorded the information.

"Well…" His mom started from the chair in the corner of the room. "He noted he was having an irregular heartbeat during Marching Band, and this was the first time that this has ever happened to him."

She tapped as his mom gave a brief account. After her rendition was over the nurse looked at him. "Anything else you can add?" which prompted the blonde to shake his head. Pretty much dead on the spot.

"Alright… well Dr. Caruso will be in after a few moments." The nurse smiled as she made her way out of the room, gently closing the door behind her.

Jaune's heart was pounding in his chest. It wasn't painful by any means, but the stress was not helping one bit in the least. His legs were kicking off the table while he started to bite into his fingernails, a nervous habit.

"Honey, everything is going to be fine. We're just going to get it checked out." She smiled. Jaune exhaled. He wanted to believe it, but he could hear the nervousness in her voice. As much as she wanted to cover it up, she could only do so much.

"Yeah. I know it's just…"

 ***KNOCK KNOCK*** His eyes immediately shifted towards the door. The door opened up to reveal an average man with no hair except for a gray goatee, his glasses looking down at Jaune as he pushed in a large machine on a cart. "Hello. You must be Jaune." The man's voice sounded as if it lacked a soul. The most monotone voice he had ever heard. It was dreadfully devoid of any emotion. He didn't even offer his hand. "So what brings you in?" He pulled out the stool from underneath the counter as he reached for a tablet on the machine.

His mom nodded towards him. "Well it started two days ago at a Marching Band Competition, I noticed my heart was pounding to the point that it felt like it was going to explode." Jaune recounted as the doctor just 'hmmed' to himself as he tapped on his tablet. "It was hard to breathe, and I was getting really light headed."

The doctor nodded as he kept on typing. He looked up from his tablet. "Were you doing anything stressful or physically exerting?"

 _SHIT. SHIT. SHIT._ He knew what he said would get certain people in a lot of trouble. If he said what happened at practice, it could get Raven in a lot of trouble. "I was just at band practice, I mean we had a competition later that day, so yeah it was pretty stressful." He quickly recovered which thankfully the doctor or his mom didn't notice.

"Alright…" The doctor said as he stood up pushing the cart right beside the examination bed. "To get a better picture, we'll be getting an EKG of your heart. Take your shirt off and laydown." His stone cold voice didn't help one bit. Jaune gulped while he slid his shirt over his head as he lowered himself down on the bed.

The doctor removed something from the machine and peeled off a piece of plastic. Jaune almost jumped feeling the coolness from the cold sticky pad being placed all over his chest. "Should have gave you the heads up." The doctor muttered as he placed several stickies all over his body. The doctor then clipped several prongs to black tab on each patch in his body.

Once everything was done, the doctor turned on the machine. "It is very important you don't move or we won't get an accurate read." He noted as Jaune tried to remain as still as possible, barely breathing as the machine whirred to life. He could hear it printing something.

After a minute or so the machine died down as he ripped a very long sheet of paper from the built in printer. The doctor then removed all of the prongs. "You can get rid of the patches now." He said as he moved to the counter sitting on the stool. Jaune could hear the doctor hum as he pulled his shirt down over his head.

He looked at his mom who tried to give him a reassuring smile, but her eyes shifted back and forth between the doctor who was circling something on the sheet several times and Jaune who didn't feel comfortable. "Well." Dr. Caruso looked up, whirling around his stool looking at both Jaune and his mother. "I hate to say it, but you have Wolff-Parkinson White Syndrome..." For once, in the entire encounter, there was a hint of sadness in the doctor's voice.

"I've never heard of that…" Jaune's mom said as Jaune could feel himself slipping. He thought he was perfectly fine. He thought it was just because he was out of shape. No, there was something wrong with him. He was deficient, he was sick. He wasn't normal.

"It's a rare disorder." The doctor nodded. "There's extra electrical pathway in the heart that when triggered causes the electrical pulse to take a shortcut causing a racing pulse."

His mom's eyes widened. "...Is it fatal...?" She asked hesitantly. Jaune froze, barely able to breathe.

"It can be if not treated. When you have a triggering you need to get to a hospital as soon as possible or else you'll go into cardiac arrest."

 _I could have died…._ "It is important that you reduce the amount of risk and physical assertion, those tend to lead to triggerings."

 _I could have died… How close was I?_ "With medicine, you are likely able to reduce the likelihood of a triggering, but it could happen anytime."

 _I'm a ticking time bomb. What if it happens in my sleep would I know?_ "Is there no surgery? There has to be something? There's always something. ANYTHING!" His mom was at a loss for words as she tried to reason with the new reality that they all faced.

 _I could die at any moment._ The thought resounded. "As of now, no." The doctor admitted, shaking his head.

"Is he able to live a normal life?" His mom pleaded.

' _No of course not. NOT WHEN I COULD DIE ANY MINUTE.'_ His mind snapped as he looked blankly at the door. "He should be, relatively speaking it doesn't look like the pathway has been fully formed, so the less triggerings the less damaging. That being said, sports are off limits though."

"Marching Band?" He snapped out of his daze asking the doctor.

"Do you march?" The doctor asked tapping his chin. Jaune shook his head. "Well then I'd say you would be fine, but you need to let your instructors know. As of now, we'll have you come in every month and I'll write you a prescription for Atenolol. Take three a day, one after every meal." He looked at Jaune, his cold eyes staring right at him. "You need to take them. If you don't, the likelihood of a triggering is high." He finished writing the prescription, "that'll be enough for a little over a month." He handed the piece of paper to his mom as he opened the door and pushed out the EKG machine down the hall leaving a stunned Jaune and his mother.

"Jaune…." His mother choked up. "I…." He got up from the table and went over to his mom who wrapped his arms around her. _Ironic, you think the roles would be reversed._ "I….. I'm sorry." His mom whimpered into his shoulder. _Me too…_

They walked out of the office to see his dad reading a magazine. He looked up and immediately dropped the magazine from his hands with the look of shock. "Anthony, we've got some bad news."

Jaune moved faster as his parents were talking in hushed voices. He pulled out his phone surprised to see three messages.

One from Cardin: _Hey bud, how'd the doctor's go?_ He closed out of it and opened up another one.

Raven, rather surprising, but then again, not really: _Jaune any news? Let me know what happened. Good luck._

The last one from Weiss: _Hey Jaune, just wanted to wish you luck. If there is anything I can do, please let me know._

 _No. Fuck all of this._ He opened up the door, shoving his phone into his pocket. _Why me?_ He cursed looking up to the sky. _Why?_ He inhaled sharply. He didn't want to deal with this. He sat down on the curb running his hands through his hair. _Fuck._ He just couldn't understand why.

His parents sat down beside on either side. "We'll get through this." His dad patted him on the back. "It isn't the end of the world." _Yeah, fucking right._ He thought as his mom dragged him into a hug.

"I'm not leaving band." He whispered ever so loudly enough for both his parents leaving.

"I wouldn't ask you." His dad smirked at he got up towards the car as his mom broke away. "Mom, I'm still going to practice, and I need to go to the board meeting."

"As long as you tell everyone." His mom looked down at him, making sure he got the message, she meant business.

He let out a sigh. "Fine."

* * *

Raven was having an off day. She leaned back in her chair as the last class headed out of her room. Her nerves were running short. She pulled her small cooler from under her desk and pulled out a bottle of water.

She took a sip of the cold water trying to settle her nerves. The school board meeting was tonight and a lot was riding on it right now. The whole band's survival ran on the outcome of the meeting. _No flipping pressure._ She let out a sigh looking at the stack of paper on her desk. For once, she decided she was going to need a break from grading. She stood up looking around the empty room.

With a 'hmph' she went over to the window, opening it up. The cool air always helped to cool her nerves. She pulled out her phone checking her messages. No response. Maybe that was something good.

 _Be realistic. Silence is never good._ Her mind reminded her. Maybe he didn't have his phone on him. Either way, this didn't help her already frayed nerves. Looking out the window was a rather scenic view, the softball field flowed from where the steep hill ended. Past the softball field, was the nature reserve that the school used for their biology and geology department which rested at the foot of the forested Blue Mountains. She smiled looking out the window, nature is something that she seldom got to truly admire.

A gust of wind blew through the window causing her to shiver and close the window. _Too much now._ She closed the window. She could deal with the cold but toss the wind in the mix, and she wasn't having any of it. She headed back to her desk, quickly packing her bag and grab the bottle of water with her as she left her room.

She climbed the stairs to be greeted by the calm demeanor of Principle Ozpin. "Mrs. Branwen, I never got the chance to congratulate you on your performance. Third in the state is no small matter." He said as he walked with her towards the band room which she expected his destination was towards the office.

"Thank you, sir, we've been working hard." Raven nodded towards the principle

"A moment if you will." He stopped, his cane slightly tapping the ground.

This could be really good or really bad. The history teacher stopped and turned to face the principle. She crossed her arms defensively turning her cheek, looking down at the old man.

"I have always supported the band program." Ozpin smiled. "No need to get defensive." Raven's stance softened slightly as she turned to face him entirely, lowering her arms slightly.

"So what is it then?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"As you know the school board is going to vote for the budget and we all know you need a larger budget to survive next year." His smile faded. "However, Mr. Aungst will try to cut you short and sway the school board away from funding the program."

Raven pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Yeah… I know all about that asshole…. We're in this predicament because of him." Raven muttered bitterly, crossing her arms as she tried to hold back on the seething anger that would be unleashed thinking about the petty man.

Ozpin mouth turned ever so slightly upward. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that." He pushed his classes up his nose, his smile instantly fading. "I want you to know that I completely support the band and will testify in your defense at the meeting. I believe that the turf field request is an absolute waste of money."

She could only roll her eyes "Yeah you aren't the only one." but she smiled. "But I appreciate it."

"Have a good night Mrs. Branwen, see you at the meeting." Mr. Ozpin turned to go the other way as Raven head down the long locker filled hallway, past the office, gym to the band room at the very end of the school. She turned and opened one of the doors to be greeted with an empty band room. _No Qrow by his band desk… Odd._ She did however notice the light in his office on as she walked through the band room.

She gave a punctual knock on the band office door and was greeted by a rather worried Qrow. Her overprotective sisterly nature kicked in. "Qrow? What is it? What's wrong?" She rapid fired with a worried look. He simply moved to the side holding the door open to reveal Jaune sitting in a chair. Jaune twisted around, himself not looking good either.

"Hey Raven."

* * *

Jaune looked at his teachers. Qrow was a downcasted rigid statue while Raven looked as if she were a deer in headlights. She blinked several times, composing herself. "Jaune? Qrow? What's going on here?"

Jaune gulped as Qrow wordlessly pulled another chair out from the storage space and offered for her to sit down. "Well… I went to the doctor." He muttered as he watched his teacher sit down after Qrow closed the door and sat in his own chair. He already told Qrow a little bit and that wasn't easy. But now he had to repeat himself and go in further detail.

Raven rested her elbows on her knees, bring up her intertwined fingers cover her mouth. Her eyes boring into him. "Go on." Her voice very ominous. Qrow just leaned back in his chair, behind his head staring at the wall thinking.

Jaune gulped again. _Here goes nothing._ "Well, I went to the doctor…. And they found something." He noted that she straightened up ever so slightly before composing herself.

"What did they find?" She asked quietly.

"Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome."

Her brow knitted up; he could tell she was trying to think of what it was. He sighed. "A rare heart condition that causes an irregular heartbeat that can be triggered by stress or hard work."

Raven closed her eyes shaking her head slowly. "Shit. I'm so sorry Jaune."

 _Don't pity me damn it._ She opened her eyes her eyes, the guilt, the sympathy. _Just stop please…._ He turned away, not looking at her. The three of them there in silence when Qrow finally spoke, "Tell her what you told me."

 _Bombshell time. She is going to hate herself._ He thought as he continued, "When it's triggered, it can be fatal if I don't get treatment within the hour."

She straightened up from her chair, her jaw dropping, rapidly blinking several times. "I… Jaune… I… didn't.. No… God… No…." She shook her head fiercely, her black mane lashing around as if an angry monster. "I…" Jaune could see the pain. He was right, the thoughts were running through her mind. "Need to get some air." She scrambled for the door, opening it and slamming it down behind her.

* * *

Qrow knew what his sister was thinking, he knew she was tearing herself apart right now.

*THUD* *THUD*

*CCCRRRAAASSSSHHHHH*

The sounds of things crashing in the distance only reinforced his previous conclusions. "Give me one second." Qrow said as he eased his way past Jaune, he opened the door and slid through, closing it behind him.

He looked in the band room, still empty. The crash must have been in the trophy room.

He walked down the dark hallway opposite of the band room that rarely anyone used when noticed the door to the auxiliary room was slightly opened as he crept down. He peered through the crack in the door to see all of the band's trophies tossed to the ground some broken. The extra microwave on the tossed to the ground. He could hear the quiet sobs of his sister.

His sister rarely broke down, even when the two were taken away from their parents, she was always the strong one. It was her that looked after Qrow, she always placed Qrow before herself.

He gently knocked on the door. "Rae, can I come in?" He asked gently still behind the door. *SMASH!* A trophy was whipped at the door causing it to shatter against the oak door. He could only smirk. _She always did have a temper._

Regardless, she needed him, and he would take the risk of having a trophy impaling him. He pushed open the door to see his sister huddled up against the corner, the shelves torn down around her, music stands tossed aside, trophies broke.

She had her knees brought up to her chest, arms around her knees, her black hair covering any trace of her face as she shuddered ever so slightly hearing the whimpers of a woman who was broken by guilt and pain.

He eased himself down by her side, instinctively wrapping his arms around her. She shuddered even more before allowing before leaning into Qrow's shoulder. "You didn't know Rae, you couldn't have." He said, brushing aside the hair hiding her eyes. Her eyes were redder than usual from tears. She squeezed her eyes shut hearing those words.

"Qrow… I… almost killed him." She let out. "I almost killed him…I almost killed him..." She buried her head into his shoulder as he ran his hand through her hair. She would have killed him for that, but it seemed to soothe her. "I… I'm a horrible human being..."

"Rae… Listen to me." His voice commanding her to look at her twin. "You couldn't have known. I didn't know. If we had, we both know he wouldn't have even had been there."

She shook her head furiously. "I should have gone with my gut. I knew I shouldn't have let him but he wanted to compete Qrow….. He begged me… and I let him…. What if something happened… I'd have to explain everything to his parents…" She sobbed out, bringing her head into her knees.

"Well nothing did, so we should be thankful. We shouldn't worry about what ifs." He soothed as he continued to run his hand through her impressive black mane.

"I know…. I just… feel horrible… guilty. I almost got one of my students killed. What kind of teacher am I?" She looked up at the staring at her, her voice hollow. "Maybe… Maybe I should quit… I mean if a teacher almost kills-" She stared at the door, a tear running down her cheek. Her voice barely a whisper

Qrow's buried temper flared now as broke away and turned to face his sister. . "Raven shut up and look at me." She slowly shifted her gaze to her brother who was towering over her. "You are one of the best teachers in the school. You've consistently been getting good reviews, you've raised the school's achievement score by ten percent within the ten years you've been here. You are a good teacher academically. A damn good one at that."

She slowly looked down as Qrow reached for her hand. "But you need to get your head out of your ass. You care about all of your students to the point where it is almost a fault, but it isn't. That's the sign of a truly gifted teacher, something you should take pride in. Jaune doesn't hold anything against you so neither should you. We just need approach things more cautiously now. So stop beating yourself up." He said as he stood up offering his hand. "And learn from this."

Raven looked at him with conflicted emotion, but she reluctantly took his hand as he heaved her up on her own two feet. "I promise you I won't let you or Jaune down. On my honor." She said resolutely as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

Qrow couldn't but chuckle his sister could be such a traditionalist sometimes. "Yeah don't get all samurai on me now." Which earned a light punch on the shoulder from his sister, but she immediately grabbed him and pulled him into a hug.

"I'm so glad they didn't separate us. You're the best brother I could have asked for. I don't know where I'd be without you." Qrow couldn't help but to think the opposite. _You give yourself too little credit._

She broke away, looking at the room. "Sorry…" She muttered which earned a dismissive hand wave.

"Don't worry bout it. Those were all cheap ones too. But you do owe me a microwave."

Raven raised her eyebrow expectantly. "That microwave was broken before I came in here and you knew it. Besides, you have one in your office…. But fine." She chuckled.

Qrow couldn't help but to smile, but he did have to bring up one thing. "We are going to need to talk about Jaune."

Raven nodded in agreement "We should do it with him, though. He should have a fair say in it."

* * *

Jaune was sitting in the office looking around the office. His eyes drifted towards the band director desk. He noted two photos along the corner facing him. One of them was of the director and what Jaune assumed was his wife. A smaller woman with brunette hair with crimson tips, her silver eyes filled with heart warming joy that was only matched by her large smile. Qrow stood beside towering over her with a small smirk. In the middle of the two was a relatively young girl who had the same hair and eyes as her mother, wearing black almost gothic clothing with a red hood. The family looked, an ideal family. As he stared at the photo he could feel a pang of jealousy in his heart.

 _Why couldn't that have been me?_

' _It isn't too late. Things are starting to look up.'_

He could only scoff as his eyes drifted to the other photo of what he assumed was the extended family. There stood Raven and Qrow beside one another. Qrow with his wife, and their girl. A tall muscular blonde haired man whose one arm was wrapped around Raven's waist who he could only guess was Raven's husband. Between the two, stood blonde young woman who had hair just as long as her mother, her eyes the same as her father's. She wore a brown jacket with a yellow undershirt that was cut off around the midriff. From her waist she had black short shorts with covered over with a pleated skirt. Her arm draped around the younger version of Qrow's wife who had a beaming smile as well. By the looks of it, the two cousins were extremely close. The entire family was close. Something that made Jaune jealous. Why couldn't he be that happy.

 _You don't deserve it. You never have, you never will._

' _Shut up. Shut up. SHUT UP.'_

The door opened up as the two Branwens walked in. Qrow sat down in his chair kicking his legs up on his desk as Raven sat down in the chair beside Jaune. He glanced over to her when he noted her eyes were slightly redder and puffier. _Why was she crying?_ He thought to himself.

"So is there a treatment? Some kind of surgery?" Qrow asked casually.

"Well there is no surgery, but I am also being put on medication to help prevent triggerings, but I have to constantly keep taking them…." He noted sadly.

"Now the only question is…." Qrow placed his hands behind his head.

"If you're going to stay in the band." Raven muttered through her hand.

Jaune leaned into the back of his chair inhaling sharply as both the Branwens stared at him. "I can't do anything stressful or demanding…"

Raven widened her eyes as Qrow took his feet off of his desk. "But the doctor said marching band should be fine if I don't push myself." Raven twisted her neck to stare at Qrow who was swiveling in his chair ever so slightly in thought.

"Well, that means no parades… no marching… Jaune, I don't know."  
The director muttered.

Raven cleared her throat grabbing the attention of the two. "Jaune do you still want to be in the band?"

Jaune nodded resolutely "More than anything."

Raven turned to face her brother, straightening herself and crossing her arms. "I can fill his spot during parades and marching, or we could ask Weiss. We could teach her, I mean this year is already over, it wouldn't be too hard to teach her during band camp."

"I could help." Jaune offered. "I can help with other things. Please Qrow, just let me stay." He pleaded with the man who Raven seemed determined to stare him down.

Qrow looked at the both of them and finally let out a defeated sigh. "Fine, but Jaune, this could be dangerous. You know that."

"If anything happens, I'll take care of it. I promise." Raven nodded resolutely earning a smile from Jaune. He couldn't express the feelings towards this woman who has done so much for him right now. Even though he second guessed her a few times, she always seems to prove his suspicions wrong. _Why though?_ He thought as he watched the two siblings talk. He couldn't understand why she cared so much. It was still so foreign to him.

' _Maybe she doesn't want anything, maybe she just cares.'_

 _People aren't this nice unless they want something._

 _'Shut up.'_

"Then it's settled, Jaune will stay." Qrow stood up. "I'll need to inform Mr. Ozpin of the current developments." He said as he made his way out of his office, closing the door behind him.

The door immediately opened up again with Qrow sticking his head back. "Rae would you be an amazing sister and microwave my dinner?"

She rolled her eyes. "Bum," Which earned a cheeky smile from her brother and chuckle from Jaune. She got from his chair and made her way to the fridge in the corner of the room. She opened, pulling out a two small plastic containers. Jaune switched over to the clock. 4:00. _People should be here._

"Hey… Raven…?" He stood up looking out the window. She turned to face him after putting one of the bowls in the microwave and punching in 2 minutes.

"Hm?" She hummed.

"Where is everyone…?" He asked turning to face her whose eyes grew wide with shock as if she remembered something.

"Shit." She cursed. "Sorry Jaune. I forgot to tell you that practice was canceled today since we beat Newport. I thought Weiss told you…." Guilt filled her voice as she looked at him apologetically.

Jaune fished his picked to pull out his phone. He scrolled through his messages. He nodded his head. "Yeah… yeah, she did… I didn't check my phone."

"Well, I can take you home if you want." Raven offered as she sat in Qrow's chair opening up the plastic container.

Jaune sat down in his own chair. "No that's alright, I wanted to make it to the board meeting."

"It's in another three hours." She warned as she took out a wrap taking a small bite from it.

"I know I'll be fine." He said as she chewed into her food.

After a brief pause, she spoke up again. "Well you can hang out here, me and Qrow aren't going to be doing anything productive any time soon."

Jaune smiled at the thought as she handed him the container that had other half of the wrap. "Go on, you didn't bring any dinner. Need be, I'll mooch off of Qrow, his wife makes the best orange chicken on the face of the planet."

Jaune picked up the wrap. He perked up, buffalo chicken, one of his favorites. He bit into it feeling as if someone hit him with a baseball bat, _Damn that is spicy as hell._ She handed him a bottle of water. "Sorry, I like my spice." She gave a small smirk. "So… Jaune…"

He looked up at her.

"How are things at home? Are they better? How are they taking things?" She asked biting into her own wrap.

He cleared his throat. "They aren't bad… we just don't know how things are going to go. My parents are a little on edge right now."

Raven nodded understandingly. "Other then that. Things are going well…. Really well." He finished.

Raven smiled, one of the first times he had ever seen her give a legitimately large smile like the same one in that photo. "I'm glad to hear." She swirled to the microwave, opening up the door and pulling out the plastic bowl. She opened the lid pulled out a fork from one of the drawers eating some of the chicken.

By then Qrow showed up. "Hey don't eat my chicken!" He yanked the bowl out of his sister's hand. "You know Summer doesn't like making Chinese. I rarely get to eat it!" He shielded the bowl away from his sister's hungry eyes.

"Jaune told me to do it! Blame him!" Raven straightened up as if insulted at being accused of the theft of the glorious chicken and rice.

"Sure…. Blame the student… have you no shame sweet sister?" She shrugged innocently causing Jaune to laugh.

* * *

The conference room was relatively empty. Qrow and Raven were outside talking with Mr. Ozpin leaving just him and a few other early arrivers. He sighed, drumming his fingers on the chair as he waited. "Hey Jaune." Jaune craned and cocked his head to be met with a smiling Weiss. "Mind if I sit here?"

"Go ahead." He smiled warmly.

She took her seat, her smiling instantly fading away. "You didn't text me back. I was worried sick."

"I… I well… didn't feel like talking to anyone." He looked away shamefully rubbing his arm.

"That isn't fair, I thought something had happened…" Weiss shook her head in annoyance at the blonde's attempt to cut himself off from the world. "So what happened." It was more of a demand than a question.

"Well… they… uh... found something…" Jaune muttered. He shook his head in surprise when he noticed that Weiss took his hand.

"I'm so sorry Jaune…" Jaune eyes slowly shifted down to look at the delicate hand on his own. He slowly shifted his gaze upwards to meet Weiss. The sympathy, the warmth of her winter blue eyes was something he could get lost in. "Is it bad?" She asked worriedly

He blinked trying to recollect himself. "Uhh no, just something we need to keep an eye on… Thanks for the concern…" She still looked worried sick. _Have to change. Have to change._ "So you got a date I hear?" The thought made him want to grind his teeth to dust.

She nodded with a wavering smile. "Yeah… We were at the concession stand when we saw his blue hair. I lean over to Velvet saying 'He looks kinda cute.'"

That made Jaune 'hmph' in amusement. "Well, Velvet pushed me up to him and actually introduced me to him… then it just kind of left me there with him."

Jaune raised an eyebrow, he didn't expect Velvet to be so….. Forward… "So what's his name?" Jaune asked casually.

"Neptune Vasilias"

The name already made Jaune sick to the stomach. "What's he like?" He asked casually.

"Well, he's into music. He' actually in Newport's Theatre program oh and choir!" She clapped her hands together excitedly. "He's nice, really relaxed, I'd think you'd like him."

 _Yeah, I bet._ "He's sounds great. I'm glad your happy." He could feel his teeth wanting to grind together as he noticed more and more people were filing in. Including a Velvet who sat beside Weiss.

"Hey Weiss, Jaune." She greeted them amicably.

"Velvet." Jaune responded somewhat sorely which Weiss and Velvet noticed.

"Roll call." Superintendent Salem called out. The frail old woman scared the living crap out of Jaune.

"Mr. Jaime." She called out.

"Here."

"Mr. Stum."

"Here."

"Mrs. Morrison."

"Here."

"Mr. Aungst."

An average, slender man, with cropped black hair that formed a beard rose. "Here." The name instantly filled with an unidentifiable hate at the name as he could see Raven stiffen up at the mention of his name. Whoever was this guy was… it didn't bode well for them.

Salem sat the head of the table. "Everyone is accounted for. First order of business, the budget. Shall we go over the proposal?" The council all confirmed. And so for a couple of moments, numerous different school functions that needed money were listed off with an estimate to fund it for the upcoming year.

"Band five thousand dollars."

"Football department, twenty thousand dollars with another ninety for renovating field to turf."

Jaune and Weiss looked at each other. That amount was ridiculous. "Half of that money belongs to the band. They've already cut theater and choir out because of it." Weiss hissed.

"This is bullshit." Velvet agreed angrily.

"Are there any modification to this proposal before a vote?" Salem called out. As if on cue, Velvet stood up immediately. Weiss and Jaune looked at her stunned as Raven and Qrow could only smile.

Mr. Aungst's soulless, beady little eyes locked onto the drum major.

"Ahh Miss Scarletina, doing Qrow's dirty work because he's too afraid to confront me?"

"No sir," Velvet responded cooly. "I just feel like I should point out some facts about our football team and why they don't deserve that kind of money. First things first, or football team is full of people who only know how to lose. They haven't won a single game in the past three seasons and from the most recent games that's not going to change any time soon. Obviously the students we have playing football don't have any real amount of dedication to the sport. On the flip side of things, our band has consistently performed well, and the students involved have shown that they are dedicated to performing well." At this point a hint of anger as well as pain seeped into Velvet's voice as she continued. "And yet you have been consistently taking away from the band's budget and giving the money to the football team. Taking away from those who are successful and giving to those who haven't seen an inch of success in years. Yet the football team is still losing every single game, and the band was still able to beat Newport and get third in the state despite having to use old run-down equipment due to lack of funding."

"Little girl, you know nothing of finances of a school." Mr. Aungst retorted with a roll of the wrist.

"While you may not be wrong," the brunette said with a cold voice. "I find it to be only natural to prioritize those who are achieving success over those who can never obtain it."

Mr. Aungst glared at the young girl for a few moments before responding. "You don't understand! If we spend this money on the football team, they'll be able to improve faster."

"Fancy equipment and lots of money don't simply make people magically improve. Hard work and dedication are the only things that can make our football team better."

"Your band isn't even a sport. At most, it's just a little thing on the side while everyone is truly there to see the games."

"Well, I guess it's a good thing that we're there, or else they wouldn't have anything good to watch," Velvet responded quickly before returning to her seat.

Aungst glared at the band director. "Wether we like it or not, we need to come to the realization that the band has what? Fifteen students? The football team has thirty-five students with a staff of six coaches. We need more money to spend on the football team. To give it to the band seems…. Just greedy."

"Greedy?" Raven took a step forward, Qrow placing a hand on her shoulder which was shrugged off. "It was because of you that the band was only able to compete once this year. It was you who cut the choir program. It was you who cut the theater program. You want to cut more money from the art program! Your football team with the current administration is destroying the art program!"

Jaune and Weiss' jaws dropped at the fiery dragon challenging her boss. Something admirable or something stupid. "If you take away the art department, you turn this school into a dump where kids are bored out of their living minds. You kill the band, you kill the last opportunity for students to express creativity." She took a step back after stunning the room into silence.

"She isn't wrong." Ozpin cleared his throat, walked up to the School Board table, posing as a feeble old man, leaning on his cane. "Stripping the arts from the school will drive down scores… and you all know what that means."

"Cuts in the budget…" Mr. Jaime whispered.

"State possession." Mrs. Morrison murmured.

Mr. Aungst crossed his arms, his soulless eyes locking onto the principle. "Tell Ozpin what would have us do then? Sports keep students interested in school." He scoffed. "Not paint or music."

"Studies have shown that art promotes interest and self-expression which helps on standardized tests. So why not spread the funding. Restart the theater and choir programs. We aren't asking to end the sports program, but to share the budget."

Mr. Jaime rose his hand to speak. "I move to edit the budget, specifically reducing the football budget."

Mrs. Morrison raised her hand. "I second this."

Mr. Stum raised her hand. "I support this."

"Anyone one opposed?" Salem asked.

Mr. Aungst raised his hand. Salem looked almost defeated. "Well, budget restructuring is in favor; three to one." Jaune watched the once confident and cocky asshole slowly sink in his chair. He looked over to Weiss who had the biggest heart warming smile. Her ice cold blue eyes were oddly comforting, oddly relaxing.

"We did it guys!" His attention shifted to the excited brunette shook Weiss with excitement.

Weiss turned to hug her friend tightly sharing in the relief. Jaune's eyes looked over Ozpin who seemed to be rejuvenated by the outcome. Qrow gave a low high five to his sister which she returned. The two siblings eyes met with Jaune, both filled with pride and genuine happiness.

The meeting dragged on and on. After two hours, the meeting was concluded as everyone milled around. The three got up walking over to their director and instructor.

"Well looks like we're competing more next year." Qrow grinned. "Couldn't have done it without any of you."

Raven nodded looking everyone over, proudly shaking everyone's hand. "Without your dedication, none of this would be happening." If Jaune wasn't wrong, she might have Raven tearing up ever so slightly as she cleared her throat. "You saved this school. Never forget what you did here."

Weiss reached out hugging Velvet. "You did amazing!" She congratulated. She then broke away and wrapped her arms around Jaune hugging. He froze at contact. _Whaaaaa…._ He found himself returning the hug numbly.

* * *

Jaune walked out of the office after saying goodbye to everyone. The air was crisp and cool. He walked down the sidewalk to where his parents would have been parked. Today had been a long day. A very long day and stressful day.

The condition was something weighing heavy on his mind. Breaking it to Qrow and Raven was a whole other level of stress. Once they came to realize it was manageable, and that Jaune would not take no for an answer, he felt a little bit easier.

However, the board meeting was relatively relaxing. It helped him to keep his mind off of it. Then Weiss. Then there was Weiss. His good friend, Weiss, hugging him. He found strange, tingly feeling that he couldn't describe and that scared him.

He buried it; he suppressed it. _No, it was nothing._ He reassured himself as he found the red Tauras, his mom's car. He could see his dad driving and his mom in the passenger. He approached the door opening only to be met with an all too familiar aroma. An aroma that he thought he wouldn't smell again.

 _Somethings never change._ He lamented.

His mom turned around with her glazed over eyes.

"Heya…. Jaun… How iz yur night?" She slurred.

Jaune clenched his fists. "Good." He said synctly. He looked up to meet his father's eyes, the look in his eyes matched his own.

 _Of all days huh?_ _Real fucking parent of the year material._

* * *

 _The heart is truly an amazing organ. I true piece of organic machinery, yet it is associated with a great many feelings and associations that are lies._

 _In reality, personal will, determination, and perseverance is all driven by the brain as are all feelings and emotions. The heart plays no role in any of these things. The feelings mean nothing in of themselves. It is what you attach to these feelings that make people._

 _I believe an equally satisfying quote would be from Primo Levi. He claims that_ " _We too are so dazzled by power and money as to forget our essential fragility." He was an Auschwitz survivor._

 _People often forget that we have limits, our body, such as our hearts, muscles, and bones can be pushed to the limit without us realizing it. The same could be said when we are pushed mentally. We are too wrapped up in the here and now that we neglect some of the most important things._

 _And when we come to the realization that we were neglectful…. and that kind of guilt can push people to a breaking point or make them to truly selfless individuals._

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hello my dear friends and readers!**

 **So I'll be honest, no backlog cause this chapter was… rather long….. But hopefully decent and tolerable.**

 **Let's get into it…. Jaune…. Has WPW…. and was on a ticking time bomb, literally that was triggered by Raven, and oh boy did she take it rough huh? Poor Jaune and Raven…**

 **Can I also say I love Velvet too…. She ain't having any of Aungst's petty bullcrap. You go girl.**

 **Weiss and Jaune still good friends… hopefully? maybe ? Yes? No? But this Neptune fella is just well… we'll find out next time and see where that goes.**

 **One other thing…. A lot of people were like Sauron what you do? Where is the white knight? Then you hint at Arkos?! THEN SHOOT THAT DOWN WITH PYRRHAXCARDIN?! I have one thing to say that. *Shrugs and smiles innocently* I don't know what you're talking about**

 **So do my helpers have anything to say?**

 **Brando: Anybody else have severe depression right now *Insert meme here***

 **Shadedruu:**

 **Shaded: I have no clue who the heck Shadedruu is… but whatever he is I hope he's happy. Someone needs to be. Also … for Velvet… you're welcome.**

 **Sauron: Wow Shaded… ignoring my nickname to you… cool bro… cool… but for real yall need some happiness in yo lives. *Insert counter meme* And I'm not goin to say anything but if you like Velvet (or hate…) you can thank him.**

 **Brando: Happiness is overrated yo**

 **Shaded: I had to edit this author's note :/**

 **Sauron: Both of you shut up and be happy! *Glares at Shaded.* I don't know what you're talking about…. Anyway if you all liked the chapter, please leave a fav, follow, review, or pm. We literally love it when we see reviews lol. Got theories, ideas, suggestions, reactions, predictions, any and all, let us know! It's always appreciated.**

 **REVIEWS**

 **Xerzo: Hey mate! So yeah Jaune didn't seem to be having a good day/night… Still no comments on shipping though. Things will happen and things won't happen xD .**

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter though!**

 **CoNViX: Please don't hurt me! We can still have something! xD P.S. you'll find that this story is going to have many loops, good and bad! Hope you enjoyed the chapter mate! Always good to see a review from ya mate. I'm glad you like the character back stories too, they'll be playing a more substantial role as the story goes on.**

 **Wes: My man! Imma insta confirm this to for everyone though…Nope to either of those ships lol. The only shipping secrets I will reveal! As for streaming Unfortunately I won't be streaming during break, back at home with bad internet, but when I get back to school, there will be plenty of streams.**

 **Yukas: Please Yukas! Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Lmao that flinch reaction. I could definitely understand xD This chapter was kick? *shrugs innocently leans in* "I'm sorry. We'll get through this" xD I love battleship though. Fun game. That little touch with Jaune's reaction? I thought it was little iffy, but I'll take it lol**

 **I'm glad you liked the chapter, hopefully this one was alright.**

 **A public note to everyone! "Let's all hold hands and hope that the rough sea settles!"**

 **Thank you to everyone, your reviews are always truly appreciated.**

 **MERRY CHRISTMAS! HAPPY HOLIDAYS! GOOD BREAKS!**


	11. Chapter 11: Forced Decisions

**Chapter 11: Forced Decisions**

 _Ah yes, the spring semester. They say new semesters bring new opportunities. In reality, 9th grade didn't change that much. There were only two substantial events that truly affected me as a human being. The Winter Chorus and Easter Break._

 _Little did I know that the events of Spring Semester, although, relatively minor, played a substantial role in creating the kind of man I am today. It's funny how when you think you're down and out that there are some rays of hope, even during our darkest times. Yet we often don't see it like that during the time._

* * *

 **January**

Jaune sat in his desk, still rather irritated about last night. He expected too much from his parents. He was lied to not just once, but twice. Twice, the promise of his parents to stop drinking, twice the disappointment.

Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic. Now the fights were getting worse than they had ever been. He was tired and exhausted, but he tried to get past that and get caught up on his English homework that would have been done in normal circumstances.

Raven showed up walked in half an hour early. "Morning Jaune." She yawned carrying her gym bag and backpack. She placed her bag down on the floor by her desk. She plopped herself down in her chair.

"Morning Raven." He greeted with a smile as he raised an eyebrow. "You look tired."

She rested her head on her hands on top of her desk. "Yeah… It was my daughter's birthday..." She yawned again.

"Yeah." She lifted her head up as she opened her bag pulling out a small bottle of orange juice, cracking it open, gulping it down. "15th birthday parties can be pretty…. Calming and relaxing." He could hear the sarcasm dripping from her voice.

Jaune got up from his desk, plopping himself up on the counter. "Her father often says she's more like me. She's got one hell of a fierce temper." She couldn't help but chuckle at the thought. "She also has the lightheartedness of her father... "

Jaune couldn't help but smile. "She sounds like a handful."

Raven pulled out a foil of pop tarts as she nodded. "You have no idea." She opened up the foil breaking a piece off and taking a bite. "You know… I think the two of you would be pretty good friends." She noted thoughtfully with a mouthful of cherry poptart.

He could only shrug. "Probably." He agreed. "So what are we doing today?"

Raven pulled out a DVD from her bag, giving a quick toss over to Jaune. "A movie. Don't let anyone know this, but I'm too tired to teach." She gave a small smile.

Jaune caught the DVD, looking it over "Gettysburg?"

His teacher took another bite of her poptart. "It's a bit overdramatic, but I thought it was alright, and I mean there's a lot of gore and violence, kids will love it." She waved a hand in the air casually.

"So why didn't you take today off if you're so tired?" Jaune asked as he looked over the back.

She threw away her pop tarts, brushing the crumbs off of her desk. "Ehhh, I don't take sick days unless I'm dying."

 _Fair enough, that makes sense._ Jaune thought, putting down the DVD only to find his teacher staring intently at him, tapping her chin inquisitively. "Jaune you mind if I ask you something?"

 _Please don't be about home, please don't be about home, please don't be about home._ "Sure."

"What do you want to do with your life?"

Well it was better than asking about home. He shrugged in response. "I don't know. I kinda wanted to do something with video games…. But honestly…" He stared intently at the ground. "Honestly though, something in history." He noted she raised her eyebrow.

"Really? Huh." She nodded approvingly "Not a lot of people want to do that these days. What were you thinking about doing with history?" She asked, becoming even more inquisitive.

"To be honest, I don't know." He shrugged, feeling a little under the microscope.

She waved her hand dismissively. "I wouldn't worry about it. You still have plenty of time. Just so you know though. I'll be teaching even more history classes." She rolled her head back in exasperation. "Good ones at least." She sank into her chair, closing her eyes.

That actually sounded cool. He would definitely find a way to take them. History was always enjoyable, but having a good teacher, an enthusiastic teacher made literally a world of difference. He was definitely going to take them. "I'll be sure to take them then." He said which earned him a smile from the exhausted teacher. One red eye peered open, drifting its gaze to the clock. She let out a tired sigh.

"Hall duty." She muttered as she got out of her chair sluggishly as he went to his own seat, getting his homework out, watching as students filled the room. Cardin walked in confident as usual.

"Sup Jaune? We still on for tonight?"

Jaune turned to face his rival in Battlefield as he cracked his knuckles. "I guess that means I have to carry you again." Jaune grinned

"Psht in your dreams."

"Nah." Russell strolled in confidently "I'll carry both of your lazy asses."

Cardin shoved him into his seat "Says the one who tries to quick scope during matches."

Jaune couldn't help to roll his eyes. "And this is why we lose a lot of our games."

"Hey Jaune...?"

He whirled around to meet Weiss looking uncomfortable. "What's up Weiss?" He asked in worry, giving her his undivided attention.

She paused for a moment looked at what he assumed was Cardin before looking back at him. "Do you mind if... If... If I..." She exhaled sharply. "Sit with you at lunch today?"

Jaune looked her over. She was trembling ever so slightly, in white knee length dress that complimented her eyes. Of course he couldn't say no, she was his friend and what kind of friend would say no? "Sure. You don't even need to ask."

She nodded hesitantly as she went back to her seat. _Odd...she isn't that hesitant._

The teacher walked in with that ever present serious glean in her eyes. Something that Jaune saw through immediately. She sat herself down on the stool in front of everyone, looking over everyone. "What is the bloodiest day in American history?" She wasn't joking around if anything could be taken from her tone.

Jaune saw Russell raise his hand. "Gettysburg."

Without any hesitation, "Wrong."

Jaune raised his hand, she nodded to him. "Antietam or Sharpsburg if you're from the South."

That earned a small smile from Raven who gave an absentminded nod. "Bingo. Antietam is the bloodiest day during the Civil War during Lee's first what?"

Weiss raised her hand "Invasion of the North, the second one being Gettysburg, and the last one being Early's invasion through the Shenandoah Valley."

The teacher's smile grew only larger. "Not bad. Not bad at all..." She stood up from her stool. Jaune had his pen ready. Often he found that Raven didn't use power points so whatever she said was inherently important. "At this point, the Confederacy were winning battles in the East, but were losing in the West. Robert E. Lee believed that if he could invade the North, it would relieve pressure from the West, allowing the Confederacy to retake land."

She turned on the power projector. "That being said, he had two other objectives. Destroy the Army of Potomac, and take D.C." On a map illustrated Lee's army in red marching around the Union Army and towards Pennsylvania with a blue line following the red.

H _owever it didn't make sense, the Confederacy lost so much land in the West_ Jaune reasoned. He raised his hand. "Go Jaune."

"I hear that Gettysburg was the turning point, but would it have really mattered if the Union lost the battle." He pointed at the Mississippi River. "The Confederacy lost so much land, they were going to be divided regardless."

She nodded in thought as she tapped her chin, shifting her weight on her leg that rested on the rung of the stool. "That's a good question. Excellent question in fact." She hummed. "Jaune hit of the most important questions of the Civil War. If the Confederacy could have won the war."

She scanned her class. "Historians love to debate and argue with one and another on the what ifs of history. One of the biggest what-ifs is if the South won at Gettysburg, could they win the war? Some say yes, it would be an easy march to D.C. Forcing the Union to surrender, others argue that no one would win, that it would be another Antietam, and then others say no. The war was won and lost in the West."

She turned to face Jaune. " I can't answer that because no one knows. I believe that if the South won, it might have given Great Britain enough proof to acknowledge the Confederacy and even support them after the Emancipation Proclamation. That would have definitely ended the war with the Confederacy coming out on top." She paused. for a moment. "But it's a what-if, you'll never know."

She held out the DVD he had seen earlier. "So today, we're going to watch this documentary." Everyone let out a groan. "You'll all like it. Lots of blood and guts for you savages." Everyone almost let out a sigh of relief except for Jaune who noticed Weiss also was relatively still excited about it regardless.

"That being said, there is no point of watching something without learning anything. Two pages on what happened at Gettysburg by tomorrow." Jaune almost chuckled to himself after hearing all of the moans of disappointment

* * *

Jaune got his tray as he moved to sit down in his usual spot. People might think it was weird for him to sit in the back corner of the cafeteria, but it was a small comfort that he learned to enjoy.

He opted to eat healthier because of his new "condition." Cardin and Russell. He sat down seeing Cardin and Russell walking towards him.

Right before they pulled their chairs out. He stopped them. "Hey guys, would you mind not sitting here today?"

Russell put his tray down. "What gives?" He asked almost accusingly.

Should he tell them? "I just want to be alone today."

Russell was about to say something when Cardin put a strong hand on his shoulder. "Let's go." Giving him an odd glance. Carding dragged the green mohawked child away.

"Thanks..." Jaune looked up to see Weiss standing beside him. "They've been better, but I don't want them to know about this." Weiss sat down beside him. He wouldn't be lying if he said he wasn't full blown worried.

"Weiss what's wrong?" He asked as he pulled out the chair for her.

She sat down looking over to see Cardin and Russell staring right at her. "Ignore them. What's up?"

Her gaze shifted back to him questioningly. _What is bothering her so much?_ She let out a sigh. "Jaune, you know I've been dating Neptune for a while now… right?"

The name still made him angry for no real reason. He quickly suppressed it. "Yeah? What about it?"

She looked at the table. "I just don't know… it feels off." Her ice blue eyes met his sapphire eyes. A look of almost pleading. "I just don't know what to do about it anymore."

It had been two months since they were going out. She had told him about their first date and how fun that was. She told them how they went to some fancy French restaurant. How they were constantly joking around, having fun, how they shared the same interests. Which just made him ever more resentful.

But he needed to be the good friend, and friends shared good and bad times right?

"What do you mean… _off?"_ He finally asked.

She looked at her tray, biting her lip as she rested her hands one on top of the other in front of her tray. "I… I...l don't know. This is my first relationship…" She paused a moment. "... and it isn't what I thought it would be. It isn't what I pictured." Her saddened blue eyes looked at him almost pleadingly. "I'm a horrible girlfriend." She accused herself.

He looked at her for a loss of words. Why would she beat herself up over this? "I shouldn't even be having these kind of thoughts…. It just shows how… messed up I am…. Maybe…" She choked. "Maybe… I don't deserve him…." She uttered as she brought her head down on the table.

Something in Jaune snapped. He took her hand. "Weiss." He gently cooed as she shifted her head to look at him. "Hey… come on now. I don't want to hear that."

She looked away. "It's true."

An angry bubble popped within him. "Weiss shut up." She looked at him startled. "And please just listen." He quickly contained the rage. "It's only normal. You've just started dating him right?"

She nodded. "... then you are just still getting used to this thing. Having doubt is totally normal. Are you happy when you are with him?" He asked which she bit her lip, nervously looking around anywhere but at Jaune.

…

…

…

 _What is the hell is going on with her?_ He thought to himself. "Weiss?"

She looked at him, giving a nod. "Yes, I do."

"Then just give it some time." Jaune reassured her. "All relationships have rough patches, right?" He knew that all too well. _Why was she hesitating though?_ He couldn't stop thinking about it.

"You're right…. sorry I was bein-".

He raised his hand to cut her off. "Weiss it's fine, you have nothing to apologize for." She gave a hesitant nod.

"Thank you, Jaune." She smiled which made him smile. "So are you going chorus concert?"

His eyes widened at the question Shit how could he forget? It was three months since the board meeting and the Chorus was going to have its debut winter concert, and Weiss had a major role in the concert. "Uhh…" the longing look in her eyes forced his hand. "Yeah. I'll be there."

Her smile returned, filling him with a warm sensation. "Thank you so much! Would you mind staying with me though?" Her eyes were wide realizing what she said "I-I-I mean after school.. like to just hang out."

June nodded quickly. "Yeah, sure. Not a problem." She stood up, slightly red.

"If you excuse me… I need to go and talk to Velvet." She pushed the chair quickly leaving the table. Jaue raised his eyebrow but failed to see the looks of Cardin and Russell.

* * *

Weiss picked up her bag. She felt so conflicted with everything. She saw Jaune looking at her through the corner of her eye. The bell rang as she stood up and darted out of the band room.

Students filed out of the school as they prepared to go home for the night. Lucky them. Weiss was stuck after school with one awkward situation.

Things with Neptune were going well enough she supposed, but something just felt off. Jaune made good sense, but he just complicated things. Why did he have to complicate things?

She walked down the hall students streamed out of the school until the hall were empty. She sat on the bench near the library. As she sat down, she couldn't help but to question herself and her feelings. That only made her feel like a horrible person. Whether Jaune believed it or not, she was disloyal just by not being content. Or that's what her father said.

"Well if that isn't a sad face, then I don't know what is then." Her blue eyes looked up to see the crimson eyes of her history teacher. Weiss couldn't say anything. The more she did, the more of a terrible person she became.

"You mind if I sit here?" Raven asked which the white haired girl nodded and scooched over. The teacher sat down, stretching her legs out as she leaned back, placing her intertwined hands on her belly. Moments of silence passed.

 _Why isn't she say anything?_ Weiss wondered, she became more rigid, more self-conscious.

' _Just talk to her.'_ She countered. ' _She did say she was always willing to listen.'_

 _Yeah just keep proving that dad was right, I don't deserve Neptune._

"You know I can be here literally all night." Raven smiled, closing her eyes pulling her head back. "You know that I'm not going to judge." One crimson eye opened looking right at her, a warm smile creeping up on her lips.

"It's childish." Weiss brushed off her concern.

Raven closed her eye letting out a chuckle. "Well a great many things seem insignificant now, but they tend to become bigger problems down the road. What's going on?"

' _No point hiding it now…'_ Weiss thought. She let out a held in breath. "I'm in a relationship." She looked over at her teacher, looking for a response but got none. "I'm just having doubts about everything, and I feel so guilty over it. One of my closest friends said that having doubts is only natural." She propped up her arms on her knees as she rested her head on her hand. "I just don't want to be a bad girlfriend and I feel like I'm the worst girlfriend right now."

Raven nodded slowly. She opened her eyes, sitting up slightly. "Weiss, I've been through a lot of bad relationships in my years. Some really _bad_ ones." Weiss looked at her slightly stunned. _Why is she opening herself up like this?_

"Throughout my time. I've been in a lot of relationships." Raven frowned as if she were remembering dark times. "I always had this belief…. This notion... that the one relationship was the one. I tried to make each one work. I tried my damndest." She looked at Weiss. "Even when I met my future husband, we had our ups and downs. You're friend is right, relationships do have ups and downs, but you can't force things to work, they just happen or they don't."

Weiss sat there, thinking on her words. Maybe she was right. Maybe she was focusing too hard. Maybe she was forcing it too much. "Sometimes you just need to go with the flow. If it's meant to be, then it'll happen." Raven noted nonchalantly. ' _She's right, I just need to not worry about it so much.'_

The two sat there in comfortable silence. Weiss embraced her teacher. "Thank you." Her teacher returned the embrace.

"Anytime." The two broke away. A fond smile on Raven's lips. "You know Jaune is a pretty smart cookie. I'd take his advice."

Weiss blinked. _H-h-how did she know?_ She mentally stuttered. Raven stood up, straightening her black and red vest. "I need to get going." She smiled. "I'll see you at the concert." Weiss watched as she walked down the hallway before she got up.

Feeling refreshed, she walked down to the bandroom seeing Jaune unpacking his quads or warming up. He immediately stopped seeing who walked in. She walked in, giving a smile. "Everything alright…?" He asked hesitantly.

She nodded. "Yeah. Thanks Jaune for the advice."

* * *

The choir started to warm up as Jaune wandered into the auditorium. He always preferred the back, but he made sure that he was just far enough so Weiss could see him. It also helped that the auditorium was empty.

She stepped up to the microphone, a smile on her lips as he smiled back. Her voice was so incredibly soothing to the point that he could get lost in it. It didn't help that her eyes were just so alluring. Wait. _Why the hell am I thinking these things?_ _She's a friend._

' _Who cares about me.'_

' _Who actually kinda knows you.'_

' _Who I can talk to about almost anything.'_

Someone took a seat beside him. _Of all the places? Come on… an entire auditorium full of chairs._

"She's a good singer huh?" The stranger said.

Jaune could only nod in agreement. Her voice was just so… captivating. "Neptune." The man said. Jaune raised his eyebrow that name sounded familiar. "You must be Jaune." He held out his hand which he finally looked over to see a boy with blue hair gelled upwards, shades resting on his forehead, a button down with a vest over it, wearing a pair of jeans.

 _Blue hair… Neptune…_

…

…

…

 _Oh fuck me…._ He lamented.

"I am." He shook his hand with a smile he could only muster. Neptune could only keep smiling.

"I'm going to tell you some things; you are going to listen and keep smiling then you are going to leave. Got it?" Neptune's voice was filled with an almost venomous hate that seemed to fit the smile.

Jaune could only nod, not understanding where any of this was coming. "You care about Weiss?" There was no time to answer. "Great, so do I. Get this straight. She is mine. She isn't going out with your pathetic ass, so you need to stay the fuck away from her."

Jaune stared at him in utter disbelief. _How can he be so happy and casual about this?_ "She deserves more than your punk bitch ass. You are only bringing her down by associating with her. How about you crawl back to the fucking cess pit that you were born from."

"B-B-But…."

"No buts about it. You know that she is soooo fragile." He stared at Jaune with a sinister look in his eyes. "If you keep hanging out with her…" He shrugged innocently. "You would only end up breaking her, and from what I hear, I don't think you could live with yourself if you did that."

Jaune got the message. It was crystal clear. The threat was made. As much as he hated the asshole, he didn't want to hurt Weiss. He sighed. "I'll leave her alone then." He slowly got up, feeling so incredibly dead on the inside. Each step felt like an anchor. He could only imagine the douchebag grinning.

He knew that Weiss was watching was incredibly confused. He looked over one last time, her eyes filled with confusion. This was the last he would be looking at his closest friend. It felt like being stabbed in the heart with thousands of serrated knives knowing that the next time he would see her, they wouldn't be friends. In the end, it wasn't for him, it was for her.

* * *

Jaune had received several texts from Weiss that night. The next day wasn't any better. He spent most of the day avoiding Weiss, choosing to hang out with Cardin and Russell, trying to fill a gap in his heart. A hole that just couldn't be filled.

The bell rang to mark the end of the class period. As students filed out of the locker room carrying on, he grabbed his bag. As was tradition, Weiss stood there waiting for him. He saw her white hair in its ponytail and immediately went back to the locker room.

He was so incredibly fed up with everything. He slammed his fist into the old locker.

Then again.

And again.

And again, feeling his knuckles crack. He looked at his knuckles, puffy red and sore. _Weakling_ He mentally spat as he kicked the locker as hard as he could putting a massive dent in it.

He seethed in rage, hugging up more air as he shuddered. "Fucking shit." He slid down the dented up locker. "I fucking hate all of it." He muttered to himself.

He tucked his knees up to his chest. He knew he developed something for Weiss. He had developed feelings for his best friend. The only person he really cared about. Now it was all ripped away from him. "Fuck." He buried his head into his knees, feeling the tears blur his vision.

He waited for the bell to ring again. He took out his phone, looking at all the messages.

 _W: Jaune why did you leave?_

 _W: Where are you? I want you to meet Neptune?_

 _W: Did I do something?_

 _Sent today: W: Jaune, please if I did something to you, please tell me._

 _W: Jaune. Please, I need you right now._

 _W: I'm sorry._

He looked at that one. That was something that he hated. He hated that fact she was blaming herself. It tore him apart on the inside. She had absolutely no reason why to be sorry. He let out a shaky sigh.

 _J: Weiss, please don't be sorry. It isn't you, it's me. Please just leave me alone. You don't need me, you never had and you never will. You don't need me bringing you down. Please, for your own sake…_ He could feel a lump in his throat as he wiped away the stinging tears from his ears. ' _Forget I even existed.'_

* * *

 _Odd to think that people can be so cruel and calculating. Being naive, I didn't think that people were that heartless. To this day, I have always hated people like Neptune. As much as I wanted to say no the prick, I couldn't, not for her sake._

 _It's odd to think what we do to ourselves in order to protect the ones we care for. But how do we know that our actions are actually protecting them? How do we actually know? For all we know, our actions are actually just as harmful as the threat we try to protect them from. We try to justify saying that they will eventually move on, they'll forget about it… they'll forgive us…_

 _What if we become the thing that we try to protect them from? Do we protect them from ourselves or do we runaway? It's still a question I grapple with to this day. In reality there is no answer that satisfies these questions._

 _People look at me and call me all sort of things, it's a byproduct of my profession. Yet we often forget that we are byproducts of our past and how we interpret and react to the past._

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hello my dear friends and readers….**

 **Can I just say that I absolutely love writing this story, but it has been one of the most difficult one's for me, emotionally.**

 **So can I just say a lot of people aren't happy with me :O (Please don't hurt me!) But your predictions were pretty spot on with regards to Neptune. Not bad. Not bad at all. Also a lot of you notice the ups and downs. I am a firm believer that life is filled with ups and downs, and I try to make my writing portray that. So even though that things are going down hill for now, they'll bounce back… (hopefully) Just remember that introduction for this chapter.**

 **So there is going to be a slight shift in format. The story (as you have noticed) has a lot of time gaps. I think the intros from now on are going to be used to help fill in the gaps. This chapter takes place in January and the next one takes place in April…. Soo yeah kind of a big gap huh? Well for the sake of story, we have 8ish years to cover, we can't do a day by day…**

 **That being said, next chapter will be the end of Freshman Year, the chapter after will be marked as Y2S (Year 2 Summer) but yeah you get the idea, I hope you can bare with me on this one. And I can say that Year 2 is going to open up with a…. Bang.**

 **Alright let's get into the story then… So Raven is being Raven, and I'm alright with that, always willing to talk to her favorite students while being a kick ass teacher. (FYI those facts on the Civil War, they are indeed correct…. I guess Weiss and Jaune are too *Shrugs*)**

 **Then there is Neptune…. You may be wondering why Neptune knows Jaune right off the bat, well you know how people are, they love to talk about friends. So yeah. And you may still be wondering well why doesn't he do anything about it? Well as we found out, he kinda has feelings for her, feelings can cloud judgement pretty badly. He was put in a lose lose. By alright, Neptune asked her out first, the thinking is that he shouldn't interfere with that. Also he wants to be a good friend who cares about her. Sorry Jaune.**

 **Does Shaded have words?**

 **Shaded:nope**

 **Sauron: Oh…. well… awkward…..**

 **Well anyway. Please leave a fav, follow, review or pm. We love to hear from all of you lovely people. It means a great deal! Got questions, concerns, thoughts, reactions, predictions, anything or everything, let us know. We love to hear from you.**

 **REVIEWS!**

 **Cpt Lynx: My man MY MAN! How's it going!? You flatter me, honestly I thought that it was a little meh, but I'll take it xD As for you guessing the heart condition. +A for effort, you got it in my book. Hopefully this chapter was alright.**

 **Poshboy: My friend! Thank you for the review. I'm glad you enjoyed it. As for your prediction *Shrugs* I don't know, but I like to keep you all guessing and hopefully I've done that well enough. Hopefully you enjoyed that chapter.**

 **Xerzo: My friend. Multiple bombs have been dropped on Jauney Boy, but he manages to pick himself up. As for shipping and relations with other characters *Shrugs innocently.* We'll have to see xD. Hopefully you liked the chapter.**

 **Yukas: Yukas my friend. I torture myself with this xD lolol. How can you say white knight is dead !? Jaune and Weiss are still alive, it can still happen! Not going to comment on ships except for one. Raven x Jaune… You should have heard Shaded lolol but no xD lmao. Hopefully you liked the chapter! Always good to see a review from you!**

 **Convix: Nooooooo I'm sorry :( If it makes you feel any better, I ruined my day writing that. But one of your predictions spot on. I'll just say that we are going in a dip, but it will get happier, eventually once we get through the rough waves. Hang in there bud. I hope this chapter was tolerable… remember to just hang in there mate.**

 **AlNation: Lol I wouldn't say that with the emotions… As for Jaune's mom… I was thinking her more as extremely buzzed, and sometimes drunk people can be stubborn. Jaune's dad was sober. I should have clarified that. I apologize for that. Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **Thanks you for reading**

 **Forlorn People**


	12. Chapter 12: Unexpected Reunion

**Chapter 12: Unexpected Reunion**

 **Warning: This chapter contains some religious aspects. It is not meant to bash any or all religion, it is for the sake of the story.**

 _Holidays. A day of respite from work and school. Days to come together with friends and family. Often holidays are good times. However, they can also be dark times. They can often remind us of how truly alone we are. They can bring out the worst in people._

 _To me holidays were just another day. Except for 9th grade Easter. Of all they days, it reminded me that I was just the little play thing of fate. And for what happened, I don't mind._

 _Before we get started you need to understand something. I was raised Catholic, and there are two types of us as there is with any religion. You have the devout follower of their faith, who attend services or Mass. Then you have the holiday goers._

 _I was in the middle between the two. I didn't go every weekend, but my parents did go on holidays. It didn't help I was an altar server. It was to bring some respectability into the small knit Catholic community in Pine County._

 _That Easter I was incredibly distracted. Weiss had been trying to get ahold of me the entire time. Messaging me, calling me, been trying to get me to look at her. I couldn't though. I just couldn't do it. If I did I would only fall harder for her, so what did I do? I tried to push her away as much as possible by trying to ignore her at first._ _I have to give it to her. She is stubborn. Damn stubborn. I guess you could say her attempts slowly died over time, she still tried. I have to give credit for her. It_ was test _, a competition, which one could give up?_

 _I thought it was going to be me. I was in a very bad spot. I couldn't though, I had a mission. Then she showed up in my life when I needed someone. I won't lie, this guilt and neglect has been eating at me for a long time._

 _It's these emotions, these simple things. These feelings, good or bad, bring us together in the most unexpected ways. They tend to lead to unexpected reunions._

* * *

Jaune was in the cafeteria, looking down as his tray. Salad as usual. He let out a sigh as he stabbed his fork into the green leaves. He took a bite only to be greeted with a strange taste. A lackluster taste… almost as if he were eating sand and ash. He put his fork down as he could see the brunette known as Velvet heading over to him, and boy did she not look happy.

She yanked the chair out in front of him, taking a seat right in front of him. "Jaune, I'm going to blunt with you, and you are going to be honest with me." _Shit._ He cursed seeing the pissed off Velvet.

Before he could even reply, she leaned across the table, slapping him across the face. "Why are you throwing away your friendship with Weiss?"

He looked at her stunned as he rubbed his sore cheek. "I… I…" She shook her head, pointing at the white haired girl sitting on the other side of the cafeteria.

"Look." She growled menacingly. "Look at what you're doing." Oh boy did he see. A girl, an innocent girl, quietly sitting by herself, head resting on her hand, as she played with her food on her tray. Where was the confident Weiss? Where was the happy Weiss? Where her smile? All of these things he took from her. Only to be replaced with the sadness of losing a dear friend. "You are ruining her. You were one of her closest friends and you dropped her without even saying a word to her except through text."

She looked him right in the eye. "What kind of man are you?"

His stare didn't waver. "A horrible one." He said calmly. He had no emotions, there was a base sincerity to that statement. A certain incorruptible truth that he believed in. It was he who put her in this situation. He was the one who had gotten closer to the girl. It was he who developed feelings for her, and it was he who was causing this pain.

He could see her glare soften ever so slightly before returning to the angry glare as she stood up from her chair. "Don't get close to her again." She whispered, her eye twitching with a certain kind of hatred that had seen before.

He inhaled sharply. "You don't need to worry about that." he muttered sadly as she walked back to sit with Weiss. He could see her blue eyes meeting up with his. She looked like she was crying.

* * *

Jaune shot up, his heart pounding in his chest. He took several, deep breaths, trying to compose himself. _All just a dream._ He reassured himself. _All just a dream._

' _Not really.'_ a voice reminded him. ' _How can it be a dream if that all actually happened?'_

 _Shut it. I was asleep, it was a dream._

' _Yeah… you can justify it all you want. You can block it out all you want, but the truth is that you fucked over the person who cared the most for you.'_

" _Shut up. Shut up. Shut up." He grabbed his head,_ shaking it back and forth. He got up from his bed hitting the alarm clock. Jaune pulled himself out of bed, shuffling towards the bathroom with yawn.

After a quick shower, he made his bed and got his Sunday finest which consisted of a simple button-down white dress shirt, black tie, and a pair of khakis. Once his attire was donned, he went into his closet, pulling out his Alb, the long white robe vestment still freshly ironed by his mom yesterday, during the morning when she was sober. Around the hangar rested the cincture, the rope like belt to be tied above the waist. Closing his closet, he let out breath, calming himself preparing to put on his smile for the world to see.

A smile that was getting harder and harder to maintain as he looked at his phone from his former friend. _W: Jaune. I'm getting sick of waiting. I miss you terribly. I ask myself what have I done to you to make you hate me. Four months without one of my closest friends. I don't know what to do anymore._ His thumbs were itching to text back. To say it was alright, that everything was going to be just fine. He wanted to say sorry. He wanted to patch whatever this was up. He wanted to expose Neptune, but at what cost?

At this point, it would hurt her even more. Breaking up with Neptune because of him was something he didn't want to be a part of. At this point, the damage was done. It's too late, he didn't want compound the damage. Or maybe she would think that he was lying, only hurting her even more. No, at this point, it was would be best if she just forgot about him. He lamented at the cold calculations he had to make. There was no winning, only a less damaging loss.

He walked downstairs to be greeted by his father in the living room, tying his red tie, as his mom sighed, helping him with the piece of clothing. He sucked in air, pulling out his trusty smile that masked his inner turmoil

"Good morning Mom, Dad." He greeted them warmly. It was strange, when his parents were sober, he could deal with them, hell, even love them. It was just when booze got introduced, everything changes. Thankfully his father stayed relatively dry. Relatively.

"Morning Jaune." His father said he pulled down on his tie after his wife took a step back.

His mother went back to the kitchen, checking on the ham for Easter Dinner. "Good Morning Honey."

It was mornings like these that Jaune could take an easy breath. ' _You know Weiss would feel so much better if you wished her Happy Easter._ His smile quickly faltered. His conscience wasn't wrong, but it failed to grasp the big picture. He felt his hand reach down his pocket towards his phone. ' _No.'._ He willed himself.

"Everyone ready to go?" Anthony Arc asked grabbing the keys off the counter. Jaune looked at his phone, still tempted to reply before looking up. "Yeah." He said with most strained smile that he could muster.

* * *

They entered the lobby of the church. His parents went into the actual worship and sitting area while Jaune went into the Sacristy, a small resting room where the other servers and priest prepared for service.

He donned his robes which he was quite used too since he had done it since middle school, to the point where it only took about half a minute. Once robed, and his sash tied, he took out the candle lighter and walked out of the lobby.

He opened the door to the worship area, standing tall and confident. It was weird, whenever he wore something that resembled a uniform he could walk with a sense of confidence, but as soon as he was taken out of the uniform, he preferred to stay in the back, away from prying eyes.

With confident footsteps, he walked down the center aisle of the church, genuflecting, dropping one knee to the ground, and making the sign of the cross like he memorized to do so. He approached the altar, holding his right hand over his chest in the sign of humility while lighting the candles with his left hand.

Once everything was said and done, he turned down to walk down the stairs. He turned around, genuflecting again and walked down the main aisle.

His eyes caught something in the back, along the back of the pews facing on the end of the pew was a familiar person he saw back in November, her red long flowing hair in a familiar pony tail. Her emerald eyes drifted away from the cross to Jaune as he approached closer. _Professional, Jaune. Professional._ He reminded himself.

He gave a slight nod and a smile to the girl wearing a bright red, knee-length, dress with leaf silhouettes patterned into it, who smiled back. Her emerald eyes shined with a certain shy joy that seemed different compared to when he last saw her at the competition.

Once he left the main worship area, he opened the sacristy. _The hell…_ He thought. He honestly believed that when he ran into Pyrrha at the competition, that would be the only time. In all his time at church, he barely remembered seeing the redhead at church.

He entered the small changing room to find the Father Sherman, donning his own robes over his black cassock. "Good morning Jaune!" The elderly' man's who looked like a feeble old monk sprung to life.

He bowed his head slightly in a sign of respect. "Good Morning Father." He greeted back as he put away the lighter. Father Sherman went to the mirror if the room, tying a particularly fine golden vestment around his neck. "Was the Easter Bunny kind to you this year?" He asked sincerely.

Jaune smiled. "I'm sure he was, but I won't actually know until I get home."

The elder man let out a chuckle. "Of course, of course. Don't let that spoil a delicious meal." The man gave a knowing smile as the other servers started to begin to put on their vestments.

Once everyone was ready, Jaune grabbed the heavy metal staff with a large cross affixed on top as everyone lined up in the lobby, his eyes affixed on Pyrrha who was standing with the rest of worshippers, singing their hymns. _Not here. Not now._ He reminded himself, as he exhaled slowly. He held the cross up, looking at Father Sharman who was singing. His eyes met Jaune's and with a slight nod, Jaune marched down the aisle and towards the altar.

* * *

Throughout the entire mass, he couldn't stop thinking of two thing, his treatment of Weiss and the feeling of Pyrrha watching him. It's weird. At one point, he believed that you should focus on Mass, you push out worldly affairs until Mass was done. Now… he was so used to the actions, the repetition, the motions of serving that he almost felt like a robot. This allowed for him to think.

No longer was the hour devoted to worship, body and mind. He worshiped through his body, but his mind wasn't with it. It wandered, church became an opportunity to think, and going to church was alway a surreal moment. A moment where he should be thankful, but sometimes became resentful seeing all those people down there. All those families, those damn happy families. He disrobed, hanging up his albs on the hangar in the garment bag. "Thank you for your service." Father Sherman held his hand out which Jaune took with a firm handshake. "Have a blessed holiday."

He took it gave a sincere handshake, smiling as well. "You as well, Father." He opened the door of the Sacristy as he turned away, a crown creeping on his face.

"Hello!" A happy and warm voice greeted him which startled him. He looked to his left, the redhead Pyrrha stood up immediately hugging him.

His eyes widened at the contact. _What? Why is she hugging me?_ He awkwardly returned the chaste hug. "H-h-hey Pyrrha." He stuttered.

"You know, you should look happier up there." She broke away with a look of concern in her eyes.

He put on his fake smile. "Ahh, nothing. Just a marching band habit." She looked at him, still concerned, but it slowly evaporated being replaced by a small smile. Deciding to get off of the subject, he did a switch. "I didn't expect you to see you here."

She shrugged innocently. "My parents wanted to go, and I didn't really have a say." Her small smile grew ever so slightly, "But I'm glad we did. I didn't get a chance to get your number at Hershey."

He stared at her. _Why is she doing this now?_ He asked himself staring at the redhead before him. _It doesn't make any sense._ He saw a blur in front of him. "Earth to Jaune?" He blinked, slightly jerking up to see two emerald orbs staring at him as he saw a hand wave in front of his eyes.

"Uhh… sure…" He stuttered. They exchanged phones, quickly adding one another in their contacts. He handed her phone back as he took his back "Thanks." She sat back down on the bench gesturing for him to join her watching crowds. He could see his parents socializing with other adults which he assume Pyrrha's parents were as well.

"I was looking for you after the competition. I couldn't find you at all. I really wanted to catch up with you" She noted as she watched coming and going.

 _Fuck…. come on…. now?_ "Yeah, I wasn't feeling too well afterward." He kept a straight face. It wasn't a lie; just a really watered down version of the truth. "What about Cardin?"

"Eh, I talked to him a little bit, but he's definitely changed. He doesn't seem like the sweet guy he was when I knew him." She shrugged, almost sounding disappointed by the fact.

"Yeah… people change." He said as he looked at his parents. "There is nothing we can do about it. Sometimes it's for the better, other times… not so much."

Pyrrha looked at Jaune, studying him closely. "That was…. Insightful. I never pictured you saying something like that"

Jaune raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms in mock defense. "Oh? And what did you picture me as?" The redhead tapped her chin thoughtfully as she looked upward

"Honestly, I can't really say." She looked back at him, giving a slight frown "I always saw you hanging out with Ian and Colten, and they were just trolls and bullies"

Jaune nodded absent mindedly. "Fair enough. I often found the two annoying though."

She cocked her head questioningly. "So why did you stick with them…?" She asked hesitantly.

He let out slightly saddened sigh looking at the ground. "Yeah…. I just didn't want to be a loner." The irony behind that statement was almost to much to swallow. It was all just a show to hide the fact that he was truly a loner and now Weiss was starting to find out. "I just wanted to fit in…" He saw her fidgeting as he looked over, she was awkwardly rubbing her arm looking away from him. It was starting to flood back now "Shit, Pyrrha. I'm sorry. We were dicks to you, weren't we?" He frowned realizing the torment that he caused. _Oh God, Oh God no._

She shook her head, a thin line on her lips. "Not so much you, it was more Colten and Ian."

"I'm sorry Pyrrha." Jaune frowned looking at his trembling hands. He felt a gentle yet firm hand on his shoulder. He looked up at the redhead hesitantly. He expected to see a sad or vengeful Pyrrha.

But there was none of that. There was no sadness, no anger in her eyes. "Don't worry about it Jaune, the past is the past. It's what you do now." She gave a small smile. "But if it helps, I forgive you."

 _I don't deserve it. But I'll make it up to you. I promise_. "Thanks, Pyrrha. It means a lot."

She nodded as she stood up looking over to the couple he assumed were her parents. "Well I need to get going but text me tonight if you get a chance. We still have a lot of catching up to do."

The thought only made him smile more. Odd how when you think you're out, things suddenly change. "Will do. Happy Easter Pyrrha."

"Happy Easter." She returned with an even larger smile. He lingered behind trying to process everything.

* * *

He brought up his Springfield, aiming down the sight. The windmill gave perfect protection and cover. He could see the tan round doughboy helmet of a sniper up along the ridge line. He adjusted his sight, aiming upward. He pulled the trigger.

Headshot! Jaune smirked. He could see the turban of a medic running to him. He revived the sniper as Jaune dropped the medic, recycling the bolt, he pulled the trigger. Triple kill. _Not bad_

In the end it didn't matter. He couldn't prevent his team from losing. He sighed as he turned off his Xbox One. He quietly opened his door, halting at the sound of conversation downstairs. "We can't afford it anymore. It's not covered by insurance." He could hear the exasperation in his father's voice

"That's why I'm going to ask her tonight." His mother countered.

"We are doing just fine, we don't need to beg for money." The anger was starting to rise Jaune's father's voice.

"Ever since you been laid off, you've been nothing but lazy. All you do is sit around the house and do nothing!" His mother shot back angrily.

*SMASH* Something crashed causing Jaune to jump back. "That's bullshit and you know it! I could be saying the same damn thing to you! All you did is sit here and drink while I was out working. You've done nothing."

"I'm the one who makes sure the house is clean. I'm the one that makes all the food. I'm the one that does all the laundry. I do more work in a day then what you've managed in three months." His mother countered, almost with a hint smug satisfaction. It was at that moment that Jaune knew what he had to do.

He quickly went back to his door, slamming it shut as if to announce he knew nothing of the argument. His assumption was spot on, the fighting stopped as he walked down the stairs. He walked through the living room where his dad was reading the paper. His mom was in the kitchen preparing the ham. _Act like everything is fine and dandy. Pretend you didn't hear a thing._ He rehearsed mentally. "Hey guys." He sounded calm and relaxed as if nothing happened.

Jaune's dad peered over his paper. "Hello, Jaune." He could hear the strain in his voice. He continued to the kitchen, Inhaling deeply to keep control.

"Smells pretty good." He hugged his mom which was returned with a kiss on the forehead.

"Aww, thanks honey. Dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes."

*Knock Knock*

Everyone looked towards the front door. "I got it." Jaune said as he moved down the hallway. He opened the door to reveal Aubrey and Scooter.

"Hey, Jaune." His sister hugged him as he returned it. They broke away as he moved aside

"Sup Jaune." Scooter offered his hand which he shook.

He closed the door behind to let the family… festivities begin.

* * *

The dinner was quiet and civil. A far cry from Jaune's earliest memories of the massive family get togethers, it was a little awkward. Jaune remembered a time when he was close to his siblings, back when they all lived under the same roof, now though… they were spread across the country, forgetting him to this hell hole. Except for Aubrey.

"Mom, Dad." She started, her voice trying to cover up some trepidation as the pie was served. "I have an announcement."

Jaune continued to eat his pie, stuffing his mouth so he wouldn't have to partake in an awkward conversation. His parents looked at her expectantly, with a hint of concern. "After talking, Scooter and I have decided to move up to New York in the next month."

His dad put down his fork, bringing up his hands to his mouth as if to hide something. His mother stared at her daughter and her finance. Jaune just heard the last member of his family was now leaving. Leaving him to deal with the ocean that was known as home.

 _Traitor. Traitor. Traitor. You are condemning me to hell._ He shot a glare at his sister. They made eye contact as his sister's frown only grew. _Bloody fucking traitor._ He spat mentally. He was now alone. All alone.

"Aubrey…" Her voice low.

"No." His dad held up his hand. "Not now."

"Honey we need it." She shot Jaune a quick glance which didn't go unnoticed. "He needs it."

"No. We're fine." His dad insisted.

"But."

He slammed his fist down on the table. "No, we are fine." He brows furrowed looking at his wife. Jaune and Aubrey looked at each other, exchanging looks. _Probably something with that insurance issue…_ He thought to himself. Anthony Arc stood up with his plate. "Thank you, honey." Everyone could feel the tension in the room as he left.

He felt a vibration in his pocket. He looked to see the message. Pyrrha.

 _P: How's your Easter going?_

Really shitty how about yours? He couldn't help but to chuckle but decided on a more neutral approach. He texted back _J: Not too bad, how about yours?_

It wasn't a lie, just the really, really watered down truth.

 _P: Pretty good. So I'm going to be a little forward, what's been going on with you? Let's catch up._

Jaune looked at the table, feeling the tension. He looked towards him mom. "I think I'm full. Would it be alright if I lie down?"

She gave a warm smile "Sure."

* * *

 _Yes. I lost my family on Easter. I lost my last blood relative, I was to be forgotten in a hellhole. I lost the one friend I felt comfortable with. Sure I had Cardin and Russell, but what could they do?_

 _In exchange. I met Pyrrha again. I won't lie, it was a shock to me. I honestly didn't think I would be seeing her again. Yet we met up again in church. I don't know if it was divine providence or something._

 _Often we are blind to others around us when we are wrapped up in our emotions. It often takes someone to shake us out of it, heck even a bunch of people. Yes, throughout the rest of the semester, I was talking to Pyrrha. I still hadn't told her about Weiss or any of my troubles, but it helped just to catch up with a new friend._

 _I started to think that things were going to look up. I had hope. Until everything changed. One moment to change the course of my life. To fundamentally change me. To create a new, foreign world that I could not possibly comprehend._

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hi guys! Been awhile! Sooooo… I won't lie, last chapter a lot of people left some interesting reviews…. And someone wasn't too happy with my portrayal of Neptune *Shrugs* oh well. Not my problem.**

 **This chapter, I know seems a little scattered and disconnected from the story, but I feel like you guys didn't want see like 20 chapters of Jaune ignoring Weiss and Neptune being a conniving jerk face. That being said, this is to advance the second arc of the story Year 2 which oddly enough starts during the middle of summer with a 'bang' BAHAHAHAHA**

 **Let's get into it shall we? Soooooooo….Weiss… and Jaune…. Not speaking to one another, and Velvet is starting to get into his case. Must be eating at him on the inside. What's the cure for that? Obligatory Church just as most parents make their children go to. But he seems to also take it somewhat seriously with serving. Keep in mind this isn't a big church, it's a relatively small community, and we'll see that as the story progresses.**

 **Pyrrha! Oh my gosh! She's back! And not with Cardin! She has seen the error of her ways xD and we'll see why later on as she and Jaune start to connect even more. Speaking of which, another sore spot for Jaune… realizing that he wasn't the nicest person as a kid during Sunday School. He seems to have matured just a tad…**

 **Then family. The last bit of his family is moving out of state. Effectively leaving him alone with his parents who have their moments. Seems like things are tense and money seems to be an issue for medicine. Now Jaune is stuck… truly stuck in a bad spot. Let's see where things go and if he can get out of this hot mess…**

 **So I want say something as into regards of shipping. Nothing will seem as it appears. Ships will change as in the nature of relationships in the real world and considering how this is a real world A/U, I feel I have an obligation to portray that cause you know high school and college can be pretty confusing. Worry not, we haven't seen the last of good old Weiss, or Cardin, or Russell, heck even Neptune. Of course we'll be seeing more Qrow and Raven as well as Jaune's parents. Oh but we'll meeting a few new people this time! Remembering nothing is certain, everything is a possibility.**

 **If you guys like the chapter please leave a review, pm, fav, or follow. We love to hear from you! It means the world. Have reactions, predictions, thoughts, feelings, questions, critiques, ideas, and and all, please leave a review! It makes our day!**

 **ALSO: Due to unforseen circumstances, Brandon will no longer be on the team. That being said, I feel bad for Shaded because he has more work...**

 **REVIEWS! (OH BOY! I'M EXCITED!)**

 **Artanisrose: HEY BUDDY! Long time no see! How have you been?! Neptune…. Yikes…. Yeah…. I don't think the two are going to be friends…**

 **AlNation: My dear friend! How have you been!? Unfortunately, I can't catch all of them, but I try my best, but thank you for the support, it truly means alot.**

 **Xerzo: Oh my oh myh my friend…. Yeah… a lot of people have been on the recieving end of something like that. Yeah it seems that Jaune is in a real low spot. As for spacing, I agree with you, but the first semester was meant to develop characters and the environment. The latter half is establish a normalcy of getting into a routine (good or bad) Usually routines don't have very eventful things.**

 **Rest assured that the upcoming arcs, we will multips chapters that cover a day or two, or a chapter that cover a day within a particular month beyond that, think of as routine of school. Chapters are meant to establish the routine and relationships, while another chapter throws a variable to change the routine. That being said, I will be adding some chapters that show normal days. That was an oversight I will have to look into if I do rewrite, Unfortunately, there is a lot of time to cover in 8 years and I don't want to get bogged down.**

 **Yukas: YUKAS! *Hug* How have you been?! Yeah….. It seems you aren't the only one to hate Neptune lol. Well this isn't going to be like those fics with Neptune and Weiss… this is… different… Jaune and Weiss… yeah they seem pretty good together don't they xD. Hey man there's light at the end of the tunnel… maybe! PERSEVERE!**

 **As for hope and on a hint: It's not WeissxNeptune xD bahahahaha! No of course I can't tell you, that would ruin the surprise. How about this… it'll be with someone we have or have not already met.**

 **Cpt. Lynx: LYNX! *HUG* *Shrugs.* Maybe. Yeah Neptune is a jerk… I think a lot of people came to that conclusion lol. PyrrhaxCardin? Psht nah I was just trolling… no we'll see why that doesn't work out. Cheers mate, here's to more good times bud!**

 **Convix: Convix! I agree with you mate, he's a jerk. Yeah think of this… Weiss would be hounding him, extremely saddened, and well that's when Velvet comes in. You are right, she isn't one to drop something, and we'll see that in the second arc. Well let's just say next chapter is going to be pretty intense.**

 **Guest: Hi buddy! Frankly, I'm a little hurt that you couldn't just pm and bring your concerns to me so I can address to you privately. But hey, I'll be waiting. If you haven't noticed…. A lot of the people characters aren't canon, but hey I don't anything. Next time, msg me with concerns and I'd be more then happy to discuss them with you privately, this… this just get me salty.**

 **Suzaku21: I'll just say this, there are going to be a lot of ups and downs in this story as is the case of life, which I'm trying portray. Being realistic, this is a down moment, but things will climb up, but that takes time.**

 **Wes217: Won't lie, it was challenge to write mate, realy damn hard challenge.**

 **Yakom: A fellow band person/percussionist possibly? Originally I wanted to use the Top Secret…. But they're in Switzerland… and I don't see a regular American highschool teacher going to Switzerland to try out xD (I don't think Raven can speak Swiss) But valid point. I've been partial to the Cavaliers myself, but I wanted to mix it up.**

 **Last NOTE:**

* * *

 **If you reached this far congratulations xD. But for real, next Arc will be dealing with very serious topics. There will be one warning. The Opening chapter for Arc 2 will actually be a two parter. Be prepared, you have been warned. xD**


	13. Chapter 13: Here's to the Past Part 1

**Chapter 13: Here's to the Past Part 1**

 **A/N: WARNING: This chapter contains some sensitive subjects are not to be taken lightly. That being said, there is explicit implied violence and child abuse. You have been warned.**

 _The end of the Spring semester is usually a time of frolicking and joy. Lots of merriment to be had, lots of joy at the end of a long and arduous school year. Teachers and Students should be happy. I was none of that._

 _I'll be frank. Losing Weiss was a terrible event for me, losing Aubrey was horrible. Talking to Pyrrha helped a little bit, but that happiness was sapped away from alcoholic parents who fell off the bandwagon. I kept to myself that summer. I stayed at home. The only real solace I had were the video games I had._

 _But even they couldn't tune out the fighting that happened on my 15th birthday. That night changed me on such a fundamental level. I began to see the world in a different light._

 _I can't help but to look back that night. It defined me as a human being. It determined who I was through high school, through college. I shaped how I thought, how I interacted with people. I am a firm believer that we as individuals are created by the past. It is how we allow the past to shape us, how we interpret it._

* * *

Raven's phone rang, the bright screen on her phone shedding light in the dark room.. Her exhausted red eyes shot open over at the nightstand. Taiyang's head jerked up at the sudden sound. "What is it honey?" He asked while covering his yawn. Raven grabbed her phone looking at the caller ID. _Jaune… why would he be calling so late._ Unless….

 _Oh no._

She immediately answered. "Jaune? What is it?"

He ragged voice. "I…. I don't… I'm so….." He panted. "I'm so sorry." She could hear the panic. The fear in his voice. "I didn't know who… I mean…."

She sat up, ignoring the confused look of her husband. "Calm down and tell me what's wrong."

"I need…" A moment passed by as he wheezed into his phone. "I need help… bad."

Her crimson eyes immediately shot wide awake, reinvigorated by adrenaline, now coursing through her veins. "Where are you?" She asked as she got out of bed, putting on a pair of jeans and grabbing a windbreaker.

"School…" He coughed into the phone which only gave her more urgency.

"I'll be there in a few minutes hold on." The call was cut, she looked at her phone, surprised that the call ended so abruptly.

"Rae, what is it? What's going on." He asked worriedly.

She grabbed the car keys, turning to face the blonde. "Get the guest room ready." Sensing his confusion, she took his hand "Tai, you have to trust me on this one."

She raced down the stairs grabbing a pack of water. "Mom? What's going on?" Her blonde daughter asked as she wiped the sleep from her eyes.

She gave a quick glance to her daughter, trying to give a reassuring smile. "Nothing sweetie. Go back to bed." She turned towards the front door opening, as Tai draped his arms over his daughter sensing her fear.

The front door slammed a too hard as she jumped off the porch without breaking a stride. _Hang in there. Please don't let anything happen to him._ She rushed toward her car, swinging open the door and slamming it shut. She started up the car, putting it in reverse and backing out of the drive way. She put her black sedan in forward drove off to the school.

Usually, the teacher was a very cautious driver, but in certain circumstances, she threw caution to the wind as she sped twenty miles over the speed limit. The drive would normally take forty minutes, but there was no time to waste. She looked the car radio's clock 3:30 in the morning. It had to be serious. _But why at the school?_

That didn't matter now. Those questions would be answered later. One thing she was thankful for, was the lack of traffic. After about twenty minutes of driving, she saw the school sign. She put her turn signal on driving down the slight decline into the parking lot for buses. There on the ground, up against the wall, was Jaune, his unmistakable blonde hair, wearing a black jacket and ripped up jeans. She threw her car into park, scrambling out of her car.

She rushed over to his prone position up along the wall. "Jaune?!" She shook him ever so gently which startled him beyond belief. His eyes shot open, frantically scanning the area shrinking away from the contact "D-Don't hurt me..." He blurted out as he scrambled away from her wincing in pain.

Her red eyes widened looking at his sorry state. His jeans along the knees were ripped severely. For the months that she knew him, that wasn't a fashion he wore. The bloodied knee caps didn't help either. "Jaune." She whispered gently inching slowly over "Hey… it's me… you called me. Remember?" With great care and effort, she reached out to take his hand. That's when she noticed the bloodied bandages around his hand. _What the fuck happened to you…_ She thought to herself.

She let go to see that his other arm was faring no better, above the elbow, blotches of red could be seen through the sleeve, what she could only assume was blood. A million things ran through her mind as to what to do. Should she call the police? Call an ambulance. "Jaune… what happened."

"Water." He croaked out. Raven nodded immediately sprinting to her car, opening up the trunk to pull out the first aid kit she kept in the back as well as twenty-four pack of water. She grabbed the kit as well as four bottles of water. She rushed back over to him, handing him a bottle of water.

He immediately took it from her hand and reached with unbandaged hand into his pocket pulling out a pill bottle. He opened it, taking two small white round pills. He tossed them in his mouth and chugged the water. _His heart. His heart…. His HEART!_ How could she be so stupid to forget?

"I'll call 911." Raven muttered as she reached for her phone in her pocket. She froze when a hand clamped onto her wrist stopping her in her tracks.

"No." He said, his voice strained and hoarse. "I'll be fine. It's not a full trigger. I'm fine."

She stared at him disbelieving. "I really don't think you are."

His eyes shot up, for once staring her down. "Raven. I'm fine…. I can't have anyone know about any of this... Police are already involved. Me running away won't help a damn thing. It'll just be a local story…." He started to wheeze uncontrollably.

Seeing his dad state, yet determined state made her break. She shook her head sadly. "Alright. Alright. I won't call. Take another drink. It'll help." She knelt down beside him as he complied, taking another drink. He straightened himself along the wall with a grunt of pain.

"Well let's get you cleaned up first." She said as she took out the peroxide and some bandages. "It'll sting a bit." She warned as she dabbed a cotton ball with the disinfectant. He winced at the contact as the disinfectant foamed and bubbled, cleaning out the gashes along his knee. "Sorry." She muttered as she wrapped the knees up.

She rolled up his sleeve to see a bloody elbow. "Shit." She whispered as she repeated the process. Whatever caused this… it certainly did a number looking at his elbow. It was a bloody mess, literally. "Can I see your hand?" She asked gently

He looked away hesitantly. It was odd a minute he could be so confident, but now he was like a scared animal. "Jaune…" He looked at her with scared blue eyes. "I'm here to help. You know I'm not going to judge, but I have to clean your hand." She reassured her with a small smile. A smile that masked panic. A deeply rooted panic she hadn't experienced in a very very long time.

He raised his shaky hand, pulling back the blue sleeve. The bandages were quickly hastily wrapped, covering the bloody bandages. She reached out, slowly unwrapping them, she could feel the stick from crusted up blood give way as he winced. The blood was seeped out from the palm of his hand.

In between the palm of his hand, between the ring and middle finger was sliced open with a nasty deep cut. _That's going to need stitches._ She thought to himself. But first, it needed to be cleaned out and bad. She took the peroxide, pouring over the wound. He gave small yelp from disinfectant. "Sorry." She apologized, wiping it clean. She took a bandage and wrapped it as tightly as possible. "There…" She let out a sigh of relief. Although she knew he wasn't out of the woods, by the long run. "Heart problems?" She asked out of concern.

He slowly shook his head looking at the pavement. "...I'm sorry for dragging you out of here…" His voice could barely be heard, a scant whisper that could barely be heard over the wind.

She packed up the kit, still kneeling. "Really, it isn't a problem. I'm glad you called." She gave him a reassuring smile. When his gaze met her's it only seemed to make him sadder… almost broken. "C-c-can you just take me… home." He breathed defeatedly.

Raven already knew the answer. "No." She said without any hesitation. "I don't know what happened there, but I am sure that whatever happened caused… this. No, you need to get out, get out."

"B-B-But." He muttered. "I don't… want to impose…"

"Listen you would never impose. Come on. Can you stand up?" He nodded hesitantly as he pushed himself up, grimacing in pain. He started to wobble when she took hold of his arm and draped it over her shoulder to ease the pain.

He grunted in pain as they made it over to her car. "You alright?" No reaction.

They made it to the car where she opened the passenger door, helping him sit. She closed the door once he was in and made her way to the driver side. She got in, closing her own door. She looked over to see Jaune who huddled up into the fetal position, head buried in his arms.

She bit her lip thinking of what she could to help the distraught boy. She placed on his shoulder which caused him to shudder. "You can tell me, you know I won't say a thing. But if you can't, I understand."

A few minutes of silence blanketed the car. She was about to start the car when he broke down. All the tears that he had been hiding broke free. "M-M-My….." He sobbed into his arms. "Dad." Raven's blood boiled at the thought of someone close to him hurting the boy. That was beyond acceptable. She gritted her teeth as she gently patted his back.

He just let it all out. The anger, the bitterness, the hatred, the self-loathing, the sadness. It just came out like a tornado. After ten minutes of crying, he slowly looked up to see a concerned Raven. "What happened?"

He cleared his throat, wiping his eyes as he calmed himself as best as he could. He wanted to forget what happened. He wanted to bury it, but he knew deep down that it was going to be impossible.

He looked away burying his face. _What the fuck is wrong with me? She thinks I'm weak. I'm pathetic._

' _You are weak. You are pathetic. Crying. What would your father say?'_

 _I'm right._ He realized as he sobbed uncontrollably. _Why the fuck did it have to happen? Why the fuck did it have to happen? Why the fuck did it have to happen? Why. the. FUCK. did. It. have. to . happen. ON. MY Birthday._

 **Flashback**

Jaune eyes slowly fluttered opened, his eyes slightly adjusting to the light. Jaune grumbled as he wiped the sleep from his eyes. He did his usual routine during summer break. Get up, grab a quick breakfast, wash up, and play video games. The only real thing he had to look forward to. Even on his birthday…

He opened the door to his bedroom, heading downstairs to the kitchen where his dad usually was. Oddly enough, no father. His mother out making breakfast. The sight of his parents, but most of all his mom pissed him off. Especially after last night.

He was pretty sure Cardin and Russell could hear the arguing over the microphone. It had gotten so bad that Jaune intervened to tell them to "grow the fuck up." Which sent his dad into drunken tirade. All before his birthday too. Odd how those things work out.

"Good morning Jaune." His mother greeted cheerfully. _Yeah, fucking right._ "Happy Birthday."

He didn't bother to say anything as he went to grab a thing of pop tarts went back to his room before slamming it shut. He was incredibly angry. Incredibly frustrated with how things were going. He signed onto his Xbox account, starting up Battlefield One.

As it loaded, he reached for his phone. Seeing several messages from his sisters wishing Happy Birthday. He was tempted to tell them off, but decided against it. He simply replied back ' _Thanks.'_ Carding and Russell both said happy birthday which made him smile.

Then he saw it. Months of the silent treatment, and still she hadn't gotten the hint. He opened the message from Weiss: _Jaune, I just wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday. Please if you wouldn't mind, could we please talk.?'_

God, he wanted to respond back. Tell her the truth. Confide in her like how he used. _No._ He reminded himself. _Don't. You'll only develop more feelings. Kill that now for her own sake._ He sighed as he deleted the message. Just hitting the delete button was even harder than reading it.

The last message was from Pyrrha: _Hey Jaune, just wanted to say happy birthday. Hope it was a good one :)_ Seeing the message brought a smile to his face, although a shallow one at best.

He sent a message back: _Hey, thanks, means a lot._ He wasn't lying either. With that, he turned his phone off and decided to take his frustration out on the noobs on Battlefield. Good old sniper class.

* * *

 **9:00 PM**

Already pissed off, he ripped his headset off. He heard the front door slam an hour ago. The arguing and yelling started shortly after. He has frankly pissed off that his dad wasn't home all day. He was really pissed off his mom was smashed by one in the afternoon. At that point, it was any other day.

He had enough. There was no way to contain the months of pent up anger and frustration that was slowly building up. He got up from his chair and opened the door, slamming the door behind. He stormed down the stairs.

"Do it. I dare you-you piece of shit." His mom spat in his father's face. "You leave home to abandon our son only to show up like this. You're nothing."

The elder Arc's blue eyes were glazed over from the amount of alcohol consumed at the bar. The man grunted picking up his wife by the neck and tossing her to the ground. "I've… done… everything for this… family." He growled lowly.

Jaune snapped. "What the fuck is wrong with you!?" Jaune ran over to stop his father which received a powerful forearm to the chest, knocking the wind right out of him. Even a drunk, the retired Marine was able to defend himself.

Jaune was sent to the ground crashing into a table, elbow first. He yelped in pain as he staggered up to his feet. He saw the man turn to slowly to face his son. "You've done nothing Jaune. You are a lazy sack of shit. You haven't helped out around the house since you went to the doctor." The man loomed over him. "I have to work to keep you alive." He picked Jaune up by the throat. "What do I get for keeping you alive? Nothing but disrespect and contempt." He lifted his son up higher.

Jaune gasped for air. He could feel his eyes bugging out. His heart felt strange, the beat was racing yet time slowed down. He struggled to beat his father's hands down in an attempt to break free. His arms started to get heavy as the time stopped. He let a meek gasp.

"ANTHONY!" The man turned to see his wife holding an M9 pointed right at him. "PUT HIM DOWN!" He could feel the blows upon his father's back as he let go, causing Jaune to crash to the ground.

He landed with a crash, gasping and wheezing as he sucked in air, his heart feeling like it was going to implode. He pulled himself up wincing as his arm protested fiercely. His dad walked over reaching for something on his belt. Jaune's eyes widened at the realization. A holster with his father's gun.

He got to his feet as his father loomed over her his mother, reaching for his gun. He pulled out the gun, aiming. Jaune lifted himself up and leaped onto his father's back in a futile attempt to stop the ex-marine. His father shrugged him off, throwing him through the drywall, the sharp edges slicing his hand open.

"Worthless family. I work and work and get nothing to show for it. My wife despises me. My son has no goddamn work ethic." His father muttered as he grabbed his gun. Jaune's blue eyes looked over to his mother who was struggling to get up, he noticed she had something in her hand… a phone. He felt a sharp sting into his stomach when he found his father's foot over Jaune's stomach. Jaune looked into the man's eyes.

"ANTHONY!" His mom roared out causing the man to change position. There was no expression, just a glazed look in his eyes. He saw it. The barrel of the gun pointed right at his mother.

"DAD! NO!"

 ***CLICK***

 ***CLICK***

 ***CLICK***

 ***BOOM***

The door came crashing down as police officers stormed in, their guns out all trained on the father. One officer rushed over to Jaune. She was a relatively young woman with silver eyes.

"PUT THE GUN DOWN!" One officer barked. Anthony Arc dropped the gun to the ground. To Jaune, it sounded like an explosion hearing it fall to the ground. "DON'T MOVE!" They insisted as one moved forward with a pair of handcuffs. The officer clapped him in cuffs as the officer helped Jaune to his feet.

"Come on. Let's help you up." The officer smiled, helping him up to his feet as she led him to the kitchen. "I got the report, Jerry." After a few minutes, his mom was in the kitchen with him.

Jaune was still in a state of shock from everything. _He could have died. His dad could have died. His mom could have died. This so incredibly fucked up._ He couldn't help but to shake uncontrollably. Hiding his arm and down under the table. The silver eyed police officer looked at him sympathetically. "Hey. You alright?" She asked.

All he could do nod as if he were a zombie as he stared at the table. She shifted her attention to his mom. "Ma'am, how are you holding up?"

She let out a sigh, as Jaune could pick up the alcohol on her breath. The officer narrowed her eyes but nodded. She took out a pad. "Well. I need to make a report…"

Jaune immediately snapped out of it, staring right at the officer. His zombie state broken by a very angry and bitter Jaune. "I want to press charges. I want a restraining order. I want him out my life."

"Jaune…." His mother started.

"No. He almost killed us. I want to press charges on that piece of shit." Jaune slammed his hand down on the table in pure, unadulterated hatred which almost seemed to spook the officer. His mom backed off at that. After saying that, Jaune returned back to his lifeless state.

"He came home drunk." He stated in a dead voice. "He was picking a fight with my mom. So when I left my room to see if I could break it up, I saw him throw my mom to the ground."

He froze, eyes locked onto the table. "He started to choke me."

"How did he get the gun?" The officer asked.

"My mom had it." He responded hollowly.

Her silver eyes darted over to her. "So then what happened."

"He's an ex-marine. He was able to rip the gun out of her hand." He intentionally let out the part that she pulled the trigger. "He ripped the gun out of her hand and… started… to beat her…." He shut his eyes, trying to rid the image out of his mind only for it to be replayed it back through his mind.

"I see." The officer shifted to his mom. "I'll take your report as well."

His mom retold the tale but made it seem… less. After she had finished, the officer stood up. "Thank you." She stooped onto her one leg looking at Jaune. "You shouldn't worry. He'll be in jail for at least a week until you decide what to do."

"We aren't pressing charges." His mom reaffirmed. Jaune whipped his head at his mom staring at his mom. He was about to protest when she reinforced it "No charges."

The police officer looked at him with almost an expression of pity before nodding. "Right. The most we can hold him is a week though." At that, the police wished them a good night before heading back to her car. Jaune watched as his dad was taken away. The image of the police cars ingrained into his mind. He whirled around staring at him

"I hate you. You are no better than him."

"Jaune… let's talk about this." She pleaded as he reached the top of the stairs.

He turned around, glaring at her. "Fuck you." He went to his room slamming his door. _TRAITOR!_ He screamed in his mind as he collapsed on his bed, his hand and elbow still bleeding.

* * *

Several hours passed by, minute by minute. Second by second. Each tick felt like an eternity. He craned his neck up, feeling the stickiness of his tears on his arms and cheeks. Midnight.

He crawled out of his bed, standing up. He needed to go and now. He picked himself up, still feeling the throbbing of his shoulder and hand. He went to the bathroom, taking several paper towels and wrapping his hand. He could see the t.v. light downstairs. His mom must have been passed out; he rolled his eyes.

He quickly ran back to his room, grabbing his phone and medicine. The only two things he really needed. He eased his way down the stairs, careful not to disturb his mother's drunken slumber. Though to be honest, he didn't give a damn. He went to the kitchen, take a note pad and pen and scribbled in chicken scratch.

 _Need to get out of the house. Have my phone. Don't worry about me._

- _Jaune_

He ripped the note and walked into the living room, placing it on the table beside his mom. He stood over her glaring at the woman. _The person who caused me so much pain._ Or at least one of the people. His nose twitched in contempt at the disgusting smell of alcohol that saturated the air around her.

 _Pathetic._ He mentally spat, as he looked down at the woman snoring loudly. _Useless._ Without missing a stride, he headed towards the front door, opening it, and slamming it closed. He felt the urge…. In the blackness of the night, he only had the lights driving by him to guide his way as he ran.

He ran as far as his legs could carry him. He wanted as far away as possible from his personal hell.

He ran as far as he could as fast as he could, past the open fields, leaping over the ditches in the roads, vaguely aware of the car horns blaring by him. He climbed the hill with the mechanic perched on top, across the bridge, down the steep hill.

With one thought in his mind. _Hit me._ He begged. He practically pleaded for a drunk driver to smash into him, ending his misery. Yet, to no avail.

He legs started to cramp, his chest started to tighten, he was heaving and wheezing as he kept going. Thoughts became less coherent as the heart pounded all those sensical things out of the way. The only thing he could hear was the constant pounding in his head. He reached Wagner's hill, the steepest hill in the county and started his progress. Just below was his destination.

Yet how could he have known? He prayed for a wild animal, a bear, a coyote, anything to attack him. He prayed for a stranger just to pull up to him and end him on the spot. Either through divine providence, or just plain misfortune, but nothing of the sort happened.

His chest constricted, his heart he could feel it become more erratic, more painful as he reached the top. He reached the apex only to collapse at the top, his crashing knee collapsing into the asphalt.

He dragged himself up, placing all his weight on his cut hand. He let out a grunt of pain as he managed to his feet. It was all down hill.

He lost track as he found himself in the school's parking lot. He limped over as his leg were filled with molten metal. His chest felt like it was going to explode. He reached the wall along the main entrance.

His legs gave out as he crashed to the ground with a loud thud. _Let me die here. Please._ He practically begged. Yet he found his hand reaching into his pant, and he found himself dialing the only person he could truly trust.

He wanted to hang up. Why couldn't he? It was as if, he lost control of his body. His body wanted to keep going when he gave up.

It kept ringing. And ringing. Then he could hear the concern in her voice. Her voice immediately coming through the phone. "Jaune? What is it?"

His mind was scattered, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't formulate thoughts. He couldn't do anything, yet he found himself finally croak out "I…. I don't… I'm so….." He said as he panted. "I'm so sorry."

"Calm down and tell me what's wrong." She tried to reassure him.

"I need…" He let out a massive cough as if he were coughing up a lung. "I need help… bad."

"Where are you?"

"School…" He wheezed

"I'll be there in a few minutes hold on..." He dropped his phone ending the call. He could feel the world spinning around him as he tried to stay awake. For some reason, sleep was bad, he knew, but he wanted to fall asleep. He wanted too so badly.

* * *

Raven silently listened as she drove on. There were moments where he froze every so often as she silently took it in.

"Then… here you are.." He muttered looking out the window.

Raven nodded, quickly pulling out her phone. She speed dialed her husband, holding the phone up to her ear. He could hear the panic in his voice. _Rae. What the hell is going on?_

"Tai, would you be able to get something stitched up?" Raven ignored the question.

 _Oh god… please tell me you didn't get hurt._

"No, I'm fine. But someone is going to stitches."

 _Rae…._

"Please, Tai…" She practically pleaded. "This isn't a normal circumstance. I promise I'll tell you everything.

He sighed. _Alright. Fine._ He relented.

"Thank you, honey." She smiled. The fact she was married physician's assistant is now really paying off. She hanged. She could see Jaune looking at her. She shot him a smile before resuming concentration on the road. "I'm sorry this all happened. But you'll be safe tonight. Trust me."

He wanted to trust her. He wanted to trust her so much. He couldn't voice any words without just breaking. He just nodded, trying to hold back the tears. "Thanks." He whispered.

The car pulled into a modest middle class two floor house with four windows. Raven turned off the car, stepping outside and going over to the passenger side. She opened the door. Jaune looked at her hesitantly, she offered him a hand, but he refused, standing up on two wobbly legs. She was impressed by his sheer willpower. She shut the door, locking the car before leading him to the small front porch with a rocking chair and swing. She opened the door, holding it open for Jaune.

Jaune looked inside. Everything was pristine and clean. Dark oak wooden floors. A staircase that led to the second floor he assumed. To the left, a massive dining room with a large table, old cabinets, and a great many chairs to seat a large family. A head beyond the staircase was the kitchen where he could see a counter with bar stools and kitchen table a little bit away from that. To the right was the living room with an 'L' Shaped daybed and an older rocker all facing a fireplace and a t.v. that rested above. There he also noticed a tall, muscular man with blonde hair and blue eyes, a small soul patch on his chin. He was wearing a pair of shorts and white t-shirt. "Uhhh…. Hi…." The man said confused.

 _You're not the only one bud._ Raven closed the door behind him. "Tai, this is Jaune. Jaune, Tai." She introduced them.

Jaune looked at the ground, shyly muttering. "Nice to meet you."

Raven saw the look Tai gave. A combination of confusion, exhaustion, pity and something else she couldn't identify. "You have the kit ready?"

Tai could only nod. "I boiled the string. It's ready to go." Raven walked over to him, kissing him lightly on the cheek. She then ushered both of them into the kitchen.

She pulled out a chair and gestured for Jaune to take a seat. Jaune kept his eyes on the ground, afraid of what his hosts would think. The man set out a pair of medical scissors, a needle, and some thread. He went over to the sink and started to wash his hands. Once satisfied they were clean, he put on two blue rubber gloves. "Can you hold out your hand?" His teacher asked.

He hesitantly raised his hand, undoing the bandages, and revealing the nasty gash. Raven could see her husband stare at the injury, then back at her questioningly. She just nodded stoically as if to say 'I'll tell you later.'

After disinfecting and numbing the area, Tai took the needle laced with the thread. "This is going to sting." He warned. He took his hand with his free hand, holding it down. "Ready?" He asked. Jaune nodded.

Tai passed the needle through the skin causing Jaune to cringe in pain. After several back and forths, the thread was tied into a knot. Raven patted him on the shoulder. "Here, you can sleep in the guest room." Raven pulled out another bottle of water.

"Really…" Jaune muttered. "I don't want to…"

"You need proper sleep. In a bed. Don't even try and argue. You're going to lose." She used her teacher voice which, to Jaune, seemed almost motherly. Jaune stood up following the black-maned woman up the stairs. The hall split off. She pointed to the door on the left at the end of the hall way. "There's the bathroom if you need to use it." She walked towards the right to an unassuming door opposite to the door that she told Jaune to use. It had the letters 'Y. A. N. G.' on it.

He opened the door, flicking on the lights. Jaune looked around the room. An unassuming room. It had a bed with normal bedsheets and a pillow. A closet, a dresser in front of the door bed with a small t.v. on it and a desk by the door.

"Feel free to watch t.v. or whatever." She offered, pointing to the remote.

Jaune couldn't help but be awestruck by the kindness, the sheer welcoming nature of his teacher. He found himself trembling when he noticed that she was staring at him with a concerned look "Is everything-" She couldn't finish the sentence when Jaune reached out, hugging her.

She stood there slightly stunned but then instinct kicked in. She returned the hug. "You'll be alright. I promise." She patted him on the back. "It'll make you stronger."

He wanted to believe her. He really did. He broke away as she took a few steps back. "Our room is by the end here" She pointed. "You need anything just knock." All he could do was nod as he watched her closed the door.

It clicked shut as Jaune found himself alone in a stranger's house, sleeping in their guest room. He walked over to the light, his feet sluggish at first. He flicked the lights, the room now only being illuminated through the window. He found the way back to his bed… correction, the guest bed.

He climbed, pulling the covers over him as he rolled onto his side staring at the darkness of the evening. _The fuck am I doing with my life. What the fuck is wrong with me. What the fuck is wrong with me._ He felt his eyes became heavier and heavier. _What…. The fuck… is… wrong…. With…_

At that, he closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep that he dreaded.

* * *

Raven turned around to see Taiyang leaning against the wall, arms crossed, clearly not happy. "What the hell was that? He raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "Who the hell is that?" She nodded placing a hand on the doorway letting out a weary sigh.

"He's one of my students…" She admitted quietly.

Tai blue eyes went wide at the shock. The brought his mouth, sliding it down. "You could get fired. You could get arrested. This is so wrong on so many levels." Tai muttered, shaking his head.

"I don't care." She breathed, resting her head on the doorway.

"What do you mean you don't-"

The was it. Raven snapped. She darted over to her husband. "That boy is going through hell." She hissed. "The same exact shit me and Qrow went through as kids. I'll be damned if he ends up like him or me. He deserves better." She pointed a sharp finger at his chest. "I will do anything in my power to help. If that means breaking and bending some rules so be it." She pushed harder into a stunned Taiyang. "If it means getting fired. So be it. He needs someone to look after him, and I'm all he has right now." She glared at him with a certain fire in her red eyes. "So you can help me, but don't you dare interfere."

Tai stood there dumbfounded. His wife rarely snapped, but when she did, there was hell to pay and it was for good reason. He stood there evaluating his choices as he could feel those red eyes tear into him. Raven rarely talked about her childhood, he knew it was sore spot for the Branwen siblings. But if Raven claim was true that the boy was going through then it had to be bad.

The blonde let out a sigh. "Honey… I'm sorry. If this is what you think is best then I support you." He brought his arms on her shoulders. "I just want you to be sure about everything. I don't want you to screw something up."

The woman slowly backed, a small smile returning to her face. "I'm sure. Thank you." She kissed him.

* * *

 _It's funny to see how far I've come. I had to fight tooth and nail to reach where I am right now. I've done and been through some horrible things. Things that no one in their right mind should do to another._

 _A part of me wants to believe that I made my peace with that night. A part of me just wants to let go. How can I though? How can anyone let go of something like that? It's hard to describe how deep the bullet lies. It's hard even to fathom the pain, the anger, the hatred for the ones that were supposed to love you, to watch over you, to care for you._

 _How can anyone move on from that? Unfortunately, I discovered, I can't, as much as I bury it, the scars on my body will be a constant source of anguish and pain that will only drive me forward. Yes, people are driven by happiness, joy, and other feelings that I wish upon all others. I prayed to the Almighty that I would experience these things._

 _That night was the pivotal moment that will always haunt me. More so now then when it actually happened. Seeing how it changed me will always haunt to dying day. A new Jaune was born that, a Jaune that was determined to show the world that the broken, the forgotten can rise up and overcome his broken self, but as everything, there is always a cost._

 _Yet, when we think we are truly alone in the world, we find that there is always someone to help us through our darkest hour. That is why I will always in debt to the Xiao-Long-Branwen family. At the time, I didn't see it. I just reacted, I didn't understand the risk they took. Now I do, and if there is a day I can return the favor, I will do so with all my heart and soul. It's the least they deserve._

* * *

 **A.N**

 **Hi, guys! Oh my…. That chapter was kinda heavy eh? Yeah, it was kinda painful writing lol. To be honest, I thinking of just throwing it out or watering it down…. But no, I'm censoring anything.**

 **I really don't have anything to say about this chapter…. Except for happy intro Arc 2 Don't worry there's a part 2 to the intro.**

 **As always, if you liked the chapter, have reactions, predictions, thoughts, criticism, any and all, please let us know. It's always appreciated.**

 **REVIEWS!**

 **Cpt. Lynx: Hey mate! *Hugs back* Well this chapter might change your opinion…. But for thank you for your faith in me, it truly keeps me going. So thank you mate.**

 **Yukas: Ohhh man I'm sooo sorry. So yeah…. Let's be fair, blame neptune for Jaune and Weiss XD (don't worry we haven't seen the last of that) Then yep! Pyrrha shows up…. Oh my I just realized…. Another person will show up soon….. But for real mate, thank you for all the support, it really truly means a lot (in fact, it pushed me to get this chapter out.) As for your reviews, I'll let you in on a little secret, I love long reviews! I love any review! Heck mate, send me a pm of whatever you need, and I'll get back to you. I'd be more then willing to help. P.S. shipping= *shrugs shoulders innocently***

 **AltNation: Hey mate, I'm glad you like the chapter. Trust, me I knew it felt off, and if I decide to go over it again, it will be addressed. I tried to do too much in one chapter, but I felt like I couldn't have them in separate chapters.**

 **As always thanks for all the support! It means a lot.**


	14. Chapter 14: Here's to the Past Part 2

**Chapter 14: Here's to the Past Part 2**

 _Humans are capable of a great many things. They are capable of a great many evils as well as goods. I have seen humans who do terrible things to their children. Others, who give everything for people who are not of blood._

 _Odd how we are capable of good and evil._

* * *

As usual, Raven was up when both of them had off. Well, to be honest, having off during the summer was nice, but she couldn't shake the teacher sleep schedule. She got up, after getting a quick morning shower and getting dressed in her summer casual wear of black and red shirt with a pair of jeans. The one thing she did enjoy about summer was the fact that she could actually eat a legitimate breakfast besides poptarts. Yeah, definitely a bonus in her eyes

She cracked an egg upon the frying pan, letting loose the egg as it splashed in the hot pan. As the yoke sizzled and crackled, she went over to the fridge, pulling out two large racks of bacon. After frying several eggs. She opened up the pack of bacon, placing each strip on the pan. She watched as the bacon shriveled and popped with grease and fat.

 _What to do. What to do_ , she bit her lip in thought. She was put in a difficult situation, a situation that she didn't mind, but this all had to be approached very, very carefully. _First off, we need him to get a hold of his mom. Hopefully, his mother would understand the situation Jaune was in. How he was feeling, she was receptive… right?_ She wasn't like her own mother... but if she was... what then, though?

She was not opposed to having him over. The more he's out of that household, the better. But Tai wasn't wrong, not going through proper channels was extremely dangerous. She could end up losing her job... or worse. _No that isn't important._ She nodded with resolve. Proper channels be damned. They didn't help Qrow and me. It was time to do things a little unorthodox. The system was meant to help, but people fall through the cracks too often.

She gritted her teeth at the whole damn thing. It's one thing to go through this but to watch someone go through it... that was something else entirely. Something that made her blood boil. Something that she couldn't let happen.

"He still asleep?" She turned around to see her husband up in his sleeping shorts and white t-shirt. "Should we wake him?"

She shook her head as she grabbed a mug, filling it with coffee, placing three cubes of sugar in it, giving it a quick stir. She handed him the mug as he sat down by the bar counter. "No, let him sleep in. He looked pretty out of it last night" She replied as she poured her own mug, sipping the hot caffeinated drink.

She could see Tai in the corner of her eye, rubbing his chin in thought before speaking his own mind. "How are you holding up?" He asked rather concerned. She sighed, putting her mug down on the counter.

"To be honest, I have been better." She rubbed her arms, looking outside the river upon the forested mountain trying to beat back the memories. "It's bringing back a lot of bad memories."

At that, she found herself being embraced. "Well, you know you have your family to help you." He planted a small kiss on her cheek.

"Thank you." She returned the gesture. Just then they heard a series of footsteps upstairs causing the two look towards the ceiling.

* * *

Blood up along the wall. Blood everywhere. His hands covered in blood. His eyes transfixed on it. He opened the door to see his mom, blood splatter along the wall, pooling around her. He looked around the room to find no one else was there with him.

Dead Silence.

He approached his mother reaching out with trembling hand "Mom…." He croaked out hoarsely. He prayed that she was still here. He hoped with every fiber of his being. The body didn't even twitch.

He heard footsteps behind him to see his dad. Without saying a word, he lifted the pistol right to Jaune's head and…

 ***BANG***

Jaune immediately shot up drenched in sweat. He found himself in a rather sparse and clean room. A strange room but with a comfortable bed.

He inhaled and exhaled slowly, trying to settle his nerves. He swung his legs over the bed and eased himself up. He continued his deep breathing, trying to calm his racing heart until he perked up. A faint yet very delicious smell floated through the air instantly making Jaune's stomach growl.

He then realized he wasn't dreaming, everything last night did happen. He was no longer home. He was in the Branwen-Xiao-Long house. He opened the door, closing the door quietly behind him only to hear another door open up.

He turned around to see the newcomer. She had long blonde hair just as wild and unpredictable as her mother. Her lilac eyes staring right at him causing him to freeze in his tracks. The girl looked rather surprised as she raised an eyebrow expectantly which only forced Jaune to mutter a weak "Uhhh….Hi….?"

The girl blinked as if trying to process this. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" Oddly enough, there was no hostility, no judgment in her voice, just sincere curiosity or that's what he hoped and dreaded.

"Jaune…" he froze. _What do I say? What do I do? What do I tell her? That would be an amazing first impression. Hi, I have a fucked home life and my parents don't love me so I'm bumming here for awhile… Yeah… that'll go over well..._

Her look slowly shifted into suspicion as she crossed her, creases developing on her brow as she leaned in, studying him. "Arc?" She asked.

He slowly nodded. _How the hell did she know?_

"You know Pyrrha Nikos then?" She inquired. He nodded again which made the blonde instantly brighten up with a smile. "Well then! Any friend of Pyrrha's is a friend of mine!" She held out her hand. "Yang Xiao-Long, nice to meet you."

He looked at her hand then hesitantly looked at his own right hand that was stitched from the before. "Oh sorry…" she muttered as she saw what caused his hesitation.

He took her hand and shook it, pushing past the pain. "Nice to meet you too." He replied back quietly. She looked as if she wanted to ask something but she just shrugged, smile only growing.

"Smell that?" Yang asked, her nose twitching as she sniffed the air. "Breakfast. Wanna get some?"

"Sure," Jaune replied as he followed Yang down the stairs. Jaune could really smell it now. It smelt good, but in all reality, his stomach felt like it was made of lead as they moved towards the kitchen. Odd how he could be hungry one second and not hungry the next. Jaune looked over to see the patriarch of the family sitting by the counter on a bar stool, sipping some coffee as Raven was busy at the stove. "Morning Mom, Dad," Yang said as she took a seat at the kitchen table.

"Good morning Yang, Jaune," Raven said as she pulled out a stack of plates. Mr. Xiao-Long did the same thing from behind his paper, his eyes making eye contact with his wife.

"Morning Raven. Mr. Xiao-Long." Jaune murmured, standing awkwardly in the kitchen. Taiyang, put his paper down, looking Jaune over closely. Yang shot him a curious look as well.

A moment of awkward silence filled the room until Tai's cold stare warmed up. "If you're on first name basis with my wife, then you should be with me. Just Tai. Now make yourself comfortable. Our home is your home."

Jaune stared at the man, a sensation of numbness overwhelmed him as he all could feel all eyes on him. "Jaune?" Raven called slightly concerned. "Are you alright?"

He could only nod in response trying to sort everything out. "Why don't you take a seat?" She suggested "Yang?" She called for her daughter. The blonde girl waved him over to the table pulling a chair out for him.

He looked at her questioningly, then Raven who gave a slight head nod. Jaune felt his feet move toward the table where Yang pulled out the chair. He found himself sitting at the table across from Yang.

Before he knew it, he had a large plate in front of him filled with toast, eggs, bacon, heck even pancakes. Shortly after, both adults were also at the table. It was weird. Almost like an out of body feeling sweeping through him. He felt there, but not really there. "So what's your story? Why are you here?" Yang asked as she took a crunchy bite out of the bacon. Jaune eyes quickly darted around the table.

"Yang… that isn't polite…" Tai put his mug down giving his daughter a warning look.

"What? Just wondering why he's here…"

Raven cleared her throat, interrupting the conversation. "He's here because he needs a change of scenery." Her response so natural, so casual that maybe, just maybe it was true and Jaune didn't know it.

Yang looked at her mother questioningly then shifted her gaze to him. Please just stop. Please. He practically begged. "Yang, just leave it at that." Her mom warned. The blonde girl sighed and continued to eat breakfast as did everyone else.

The tension in the air could be cut with a knife. Jaune let out an internal sigh when Breakfast ended. His patience, his endurance was being severely tested. Jaune wasn't that hungry now that he looked at his plate. He only managed to eat one piece of toast. Tai went over to the sink, washing his plate. "Yang, you want to head down off the mountain? I need to get a few things, and I'm going to need help today."

Yang nodded enthusiastically. After ten minutes of Jaune sitting at the table, Tai and Yang left leaving only Jaune and Raven in the kitchen. The woman pulled out a can of soda, offering one to Jaune but he shook his head.

She sat down in front of him, looking him over in cold demeanor as usual. Before Jaune could shrink away, her cold exterior melted away with one of concern. "How are you holding up?"

Holding as much as an insane person can, he thought bitterly. "Good…" He muttered as he took his pill bottle out of his pocket, opening it up, he took one and swallowed.

She knew he was lying. He could see the bags under his bloodshot eyes. His extremely hesitant nature. To be honest, all to be expected given the circumstances. "Jaune, you can tell me the truth…"

He covered his mouth, hiding a frown, closing his eyes. "I…" paused for a moment, trying to collect himself. He could feel the cracks in the wall grow more and more "Not good." Pieces of the wall fell as he closed his eyes tighter. "I hate them. I hate both of them. They ruined so much for me..." He buried his head in his arms. He felt horrible for saying that, but there was no restraining the kind of pain he had endured for so long.

Raven sat there watching over him. "I don't blame you. Like I said, you aren't alone. I am more than willing to help." She tried to reassure her.

Jaune raised his head, shooting a deathly glare. "What can you do? I have to go to back to that shit hole of a home." He practically hissed.

"Well, to be honest, I talked it over with Tai, you can stay her as long and as often as you would like."

 _Why? There has to be some kind of catch to this, though._ "But…" _yep here it is_ , "You need to tell your mom, and she needs to okay it."

Raven could see the seething anger in his eyes. "No. I can't go back there." He shot back as if he were being stabbed in the back. "How can you expect me to do that? What if she says no."

"Then we'll figure it out from there." Raven insisted. "But I don't want you to be put in a bad position with law enforcement because your mother thinks you ran away or that I kidnapped you."

 _It makes sense._

 _'Fuck you, I'm not going back.'_

 _Hear her out._

Jaune looked away, staring out the window. A small yard with a few pine trees overlooking a large creek under a forested mountain. Just like home. "Jaune?"

He didn't want to look back at her. Oh, he was angry, pissed off beyond belief as he closed his eyes "Fine. Let's get this over with." He stood up, seething angry at all of this. He grabbed the chair, feeling his hand shoot up in pain. He tried to calm himself by focusing on that pain into something that would force him to calm himself. That pain caused by his father. "God damn it." He whispered, his tears drops fell as if boulders off a cliff.

Raven moved around him, placing an arm around him, rubbing his shoulder. "Why me….? Why….?" He pleaded clenching his eyes shut he rested his head on the chair. "What did I do to deserve any of this?"

 _'Pathetic.'_

 _'Weak.'_

"No one deserves this." Raven reassured him as if she were whispering to herself "But you can't help it. You can only learn from it."

He exhaled, wiping the tears from his eyes. It was at that moment that fifteen-year-old made a promise. He was never going to end up like his parents. He would rather die then become something like his father or mother. If he were meant to have a family, he would do so on his terms. He would not fall like his own parents.

* * *

Yang fiddled with car radio as they came off the mountain. "Dad?" She asked as settled with one of the less crappy radio stations. "Why is there some stranger staying with us?"

She looked over at him to see that was thinking long and hard on the question. Without taking his eyes off the road, he responded. "Your mom is a good woman, Yang. The nicest, strongest woman I have ever met. She is willing to help anyone even after going through a really rough childhood."

Yang sat there, still confused. That really didn't answer the question in the least bit. "I don't know Jaune well. In fact, I just met him last night. Apparently, he's…"

"He's one of her students and in the Marching Band." Yang finished the sentence earning a sideward glance from her father. "Pyrrha told me."

Tai couldn't help but to smile, but apparently, Pyrrha knew this Jaune fella, and Pyrrha was always a good person and friend to Yang, heck the two grew up together, they were as they would say 'besties.' "So your mother got to know him pretty well. He's going through some serious stuff at home similar to what your mom and uncle grew up when they were kids, and well… she would feel guilty… if she didn't do anything about it.."

Yang looked at her father slightly worried. Mom never talked about her own childhood unless it was just with Qrow. She remembered. In fact, she knew nothing of her grandparents oddly enough. Uncle Qrow and her mom never did say anything, at first she didn't think any of it, but now… "Was it bad?" She asked.

Her father shrugged. "She never really talks about it…" He almost sounded defeated. "I don't blame her either…"

The blonde teenager sank into the seat, crossing her arms in thought as she watched the cars pass by. Jaune seemed alright. Quiet, polite, awkward, all of the things that Yang wasn't. Pyrrha knew him and actually talked about him quite a bit and since when was Pyrrha a bad judge of character? Very rarely… except for that douche bag, Cardin.

Well whatever was going on with Jaune, Yang knew he didn't deserve it. If his dad thinks it's bad, and if it's something like her mom went through, then it had to be real bad. No one deserved to be sad about something like that. That was when an idea flashed in her mind as she took her phone and started to do some "research."

* * *

The car slowed down around the curve of the road. Jaune could feel the car decelerate as it went past the road with a small side road that followed Sherman's creek. It was a quiet country back road where he could get away from the house temporarily. He wished they went on that road, it was his get away.

Instead, the car decelerated, passing Sleeping Spring Road and went to the small cottage right house next to it. The living nightmare for Jaune, his own personal hellhole. A shithole he called home. Where he and his mom would have died if father was slightly more sober.

The car shut off as Jaune looked straight ahead, not bothering to look outside of the window of the vehicle. "Do you want me to come in with you?" His teacher asked as Jaune sat there. He briefly looked over at her before nodding. Jaune ran his fingers through his hair as he closed his eyes, preparing himself.

He opened the door as he stepped outside of the vehicle. He looked at the two dead pine trees outside long dead from the pesky Asian Caterpillars. The trees seemed to whistle with anticipation and dismay as the wind blew through the dead branches. He looked up at the sky, a gloomy overcast of the day only foreshadowed the expected results of this meeting. "You ready?" She asked.

Inhaling deeply, he took a slow and shaky first step feeling the rush from what happened last night. He continued to walk until he reached the two concrete steps that led up to the porch that long overdue for a new green paint job. His hand reached out, trembling from sheer anxiety as he looked over to Raven who was standing right beside him. There was no smile on her face, no, there was something else. A grim look of anticipation, of resolve.

He gave short three knocks on the door before the door opened up. Shockingly his mother's blue eyes were not glazed over. But she did look like shit. The first thing she did was reach out and hug Jaune. "JAUNE! I'M SO SORRY!"

Raven could see how the hug was not reciprocated. Jaune made no attempt to hug back. No. He was too angry. She couldn't blame him either. She broke off, her gaze shifting to the other women. "I guess I should thank you Mrs. Branwen. A lot of things happened last night." Her frown etched on her mouth as if it were carved into the face of a mountain.

"I know." She responded grimly which made her give a slightly confused look.

"Mom, we have a lot to talk about." He seemed unphased by his mother's display of emotion. She immediately moved aside, ushering them in.

It was a quaint house to Raven's expectations. It was nothing like she expected. Then again the most ordinary can hide some truly extraordinary things as Jaune had proven.

His mom led them to the dining room. "Can I get you guys something to drink? Something to eat?"

"No thank you." She politely declined.

"No," Jaune replied harshly.

"Are you sure? It won't-"

"Sit down. Now." The boy commanded. Jaune was not having any of this. This was the first time he had allowed his anger, his resentment, to bubble up openly and boy did it feel alright. It felt great. He stared his mother down. All of the betrayal, all of the anger, the shame. The fact that he had to bring an utter stranger to help settle things, to help pick up the pieces that she contributed too. The fact that she betrayed him. The fact that she allowed her husband, his father, to almost kill both of them. The fact that they were alive only because the drunk bastard forgot the gun wasn't loaded. The fact that she wouldn't allow him to have some measure of comfort, some sort of revenge, infuriated him.

He stood at front of the table across from his mother. He nodded towards Raven which made the woman sit down across from his mother. "I'm tired." Jaune whispered looking at his hand as he sat down beside the black-haired woman. He could see the two women looking at him questioningly

"I'm tired of this fucked up family." He looked up at his mom. "I'm tired of you." He looked up at his mother, staring right into eyes as if piercing her soul. "I've had enough of you fucking me over." He growled viciously as he clenched his stitched up hand, ignoring the pain yet focusing on it. It gave him something to vent his anger, it was a reminder of everything he went through. It was a badge of honor, a badge of shame, a badge of embarrassment, a badge of survival.

His mom was stunned to say the least. The confusion, the conflict, the pure unadulterated pain in her face was almost too much for Jaune, but he threw caution to the wind. No more holding back, no more censoring himself. "You and that drunk have ruined my life. You forced the family away. You forced me to live in a fucking hell and for what? To have us almost die!" He slammed his fist down on the table as he leaned on the table. "My own father. MY OWN FATHER WAS GOING TO KILL ME! AND YOU! HIS FAMILY!" He felt a hand over his balled up fist. His savage blue eyes looked over to see Raven's deeply concerned eyes.

He whipped his hand away, almost ashamed of what he was doing. No, he wasn't done. Not by a long shot. He glared at his mom, seeing the tears that almost fueled his tirade. "You stabbed me in the back! Your own son!" He spat on the ground. "How the fuck can you still choose him over me?! He abused all of us for years! We've lived in fear for years! He tried to kill me and you and yet you don't want to press charges?! You shouldn't even have the right to make the decision!" He straightened up looking down at the woman, her saddened blue eyes bloodshot with tears. He inhaled sharply, closing his eyes, trying to calm himself. He was spent, he was tired. He wanted out. Now. "I will be more of an adult then what the two of you could ever be." He whispered. "When I said I hated you… I meant it." Without saying a word, he left the dining room. There were to be no more negotiations. _'You went too far.'_

 _Fuck you. I did what needed to be done._

Raven sat there stunned, her crimson eyes slowly drifting from where Jaune stood to where his mother was. A victim of not only her husband's nasty side but also her son's scorn, and ultimately, the truth. A triple whammy. She shuddered, thinking if the roles were rearranged.

She heard the silent sobs of Jaune's mother as she sank into her chair looking like a frail old woman. Normally she wouldn't have felt guilty seeing this. She should feel some kind of satisfaction, but how can anyone gain satisfaction from this? Watching a child disown their own parent, she shuddered thinking what that might have been with Yang and herself.

The raven-haired woman came to a conclusion. People have their faults; we're only human. She did her best to raise a family under tough circumstances, but people have their breaking point. This woman looked like she reached long ago. "He needs… it…" She heardJosephine Arc muttered hoarsely. "He needs to get out….."

The teacher and survivor were stunned. She thought she would need to break it to the woman. Yet, she didn't have too. "It's not permanent. He'll come around. I'll make sure of it." She couldn't believe the words she was saying. She had no right to make these promises. Yet, she felt almost obligated. As a mother to a mother.

"I did what I could… It was never ideal… I knew that…" She sobbed as Raven covered her mouth listening to a wounded heart release its guilt. "I did what I could…. I love all of my children…. But I love my husband…. I just…. I just wanted… a happy… family…" She let out, hanging her head in shame. "Maybe it would be better for you to take him away."

Raven pinched the bridge of her nose, thinking to herself. How could she deprive this wounded woman of her child? "I'm not going to take him away. I promise you, I won't get Child Protective Services involved, he doesn't want that, and I don't want to tear you away from your son. It's clear you love him, but he needs out. He needs fresh air, somewhere that doesn't remind him of what happened."

The bloodshot blue eyes bore right into her. She could still see the tear tracks, but there was a sense of renewed life. "You take care of him. He deserves a lot more than what I could give him." There was no sadness in her voice, more of a steely confidence. "Promise me."

The crimson eyes seemed to be memorized by the sudden transformation. _"Promise me."_

She nodded resolutely. "As if he were my own. He'll be in good hands."

The woman closed her eyes. "Thank you. He's upstairs, first room to the left." her bloodshot eyes opened staring right back at the crimson eyes. "Mrs. Branwen, I know I screwed up…. But I will fix this, not for my sake, not for my husband's, but for his. I promise you."

At that, Raven stood up feeling a little bit at ease about all of this. She couldn't believe when she found a smile forming. "I know you will."

* * *

 _'You really shouldn't have done that. That wasn't right.'_ The incessant voice continued to nag at him as he ripped through his drawers pulling out clothes. _'She's your mother. You're supposed to love her.'_

 _Says who?_ Jaune grunted as he packed his shirts, stuffing them into his bag.

 _'She loves you. It's clear.'_

 _Fucking bullshit that's what that is._ He rolled his eyes as he found his shorts. _FUCK!_ He roared in his mind, gritting his teeth. ' _Even you know you crossed the line.'_

What I said was the truth.

 ***Knock Knock***

He froze. Everything shut down for him. It could only be two people and frankly, he didn't want to either of them right now. He could hear the door slowly open up behind him. "Jaune?" He could hear the concern in Raven's voice which stunned him.

Guilt. A new wave of guilt. Allowing a stranger, granted, a deeply trusted stranger, see him lose his temper like that… it was almost too much to accept. He could hear footsteps behind him, walking around the room. "Nice room." She commented as she looked around, nice and orderly, something that was surprising for a teenager.

Jaune couldn't help but to roll his eyes. He knew she was beating around the bush. The steps stopped till she looked over at him. He glanced upward angrily as he continued to pack seeing the concern in her eyes forced him to break away. "I'm sure you're going to lecture me."

"Of course not." Raven scoffed as she moved towards the window looking outside, watching cars pass by.

"What she say?" He grunted.

She looked towards him, holding her arms. "She isn't going to stop you."

The boy wasn't even phased. "Shocking." He noted sarcastically. "Not like she gave a shit about me."

"You'd be surprised." She noted casually as she was met with a harsh glare. "Jaune, I know how you feel. Trust me I do."

He looked at her he stopped packing. "Then tell me. Tell me how I feel."

"Betrayed. Furious. Hurt…" She paused a moment. "Inferior… Judged."

Judged….. Judged….. The thought rang out in his mind. "Trust me. I've been there, I know what's it like." She walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm not going to judge you. Somethings you can't judge people on. Your anger, frustration, pain… I can understand, I was there, I know what it's like. You just want to lash out at the world."

He nodded. "I'm here for you." She embraced him as he stood there for him. Jaune just felt a new surge of anger. "Funny how you are… a stranger is more supportive than my entire fucking family. You've done more than what they ever did." He whispered bitterly, not bothering to look into her crimson eyes.

 _Things change, you find new people, old people return._ Raven smiled to herself as she thought. "Almost done?" She asked, "And don't worry. Tai and Yang won't think anything of it. They'll understand, and if you want, you can tell them whenever you're ready."

Jaune smiled, a genuine heartfelt smile. Maybe, just maybe… he had the chance to be normal. "You going to pack that?" She gestured towards his Xbox making Jaune hesitate as she looked over the three games he owned. Dark Souls, Battlefield, and, she held up Halo 5 smirking. "You know, Yang would destroy you in this, she's good. Really good."

Jaune, at that couldn't ignore a challenge. He immediately packed the console up to the Branwen's amusement. Once everything was said and done, he had two large bags and his backpack. Looking back, he felt bad for leaving, like he was leaving a piece of himself behind. Yet, he found himself lighter. Much lighter.

They walked down the stairs. Jaune looking at the dining room table where his mom was before he walked off. Probably off to get drunk again. He spat. He felt a hand on his shoulder urging him forward gently as he headed towards the front door.

Once making it out of the house, he placed his bags in the back of the car while sitting in the passenger side as Raven started up the car. He felt it seeping away from him, the guilt and anger. "I'm sorry…. I'm sorry for dragging you into all of this." Jaune lamented.

"Jaune, look at me." She said as she continued to focus on the road. "I'm happy to help. You deserve a lot of things, including happiness. I'm going to do everything in my power make sure that happens."

"Why, though?! Why me?"

His teacher smirked. "I knew something was different about you. You remind me a lot of me. Not surprisingly, including your home life. The difference being you didn't have anyone to help me. All I had was Qrow." She shot him a look of fire and determination. "You had nothing, and I'm not going to let home ruin your life like it did for me."

Jaune nodded slowly. "What happened?"

"A story for another time." She said, almost saddened, "For now, let's just take some time enjoy a peaceful summer, yeah?"

 _I'll pay you back somehow._ He promised "Sure." He said lightly as his stomach let out a massive roar earning a chuckle from the older woman. "Sounds like you're hungry…" She said almost amused.

"I'm fine." He brushed her concern off.

She wasn't going to have any of it. "Nope, toast doesn't count, and no, I'm not taking no for an answer." Jaune could hear the stubbornness in her voice which made him sink deeper into the chair, breathing the air of what was hopefully a fresh start.

* * *

Yeah. She wasn't kidding. The woman wasn't going to have any of it. "Four pizzas, three dozen wings?" He asked disbelievingly. "Are you sure you got it? I can carry some of it…"

The woman smirked as she kicked the door closed while carrying a tower of pizzas and appetizers. "Just get the door." She said as she hefted the boxes. Jaune immediately nodded knocking on the door before opening and holding it. The woman rushed in towards the kitchen to see a rather shocked Tai. She quickly put the boxes down, wincing from the heat from the boxes.

He gawked at the massive amount of food. "Uhh…. dang…" He blinked before looking back his wife. "So... what's the occasion...?" He stared at the food as she washed her hands.

She dried them with a paper towel. "Just wanted to treat myself." She turned to face their guest " You can take your bags up to where you slept." Jaune nodded as he grabbed his bag made his way out of the kitchen. "Jaune," She called, forcing him to turn around. "Make yourself comfortable, alright?"

Tai looked down the hallway to make sure he wasn't in a line of sight. "So what happened?" He asked, not even bothering to hide his suspicion as he watched his wife pull out several plates.

The frown grew even larger as her guilty eyes met his. "He's going to be staying with us for awhile." She closed her eyes, gripping the counter. "Seeing how angry he was, just hearing it… it brought a lot back up." She shuddered, making her lover rub her shoulders in an attempt to settle her nerves.

"You know you can talk to me about it… the same goes with Qrow." He reassured her.

She scoffed. "He was always good at hiding in plain sight." She looked over her shoulder with a grateful smile. "I know… just give me some time."

Well now was a better time then never… Tai thought to himself. "Do you think we should get Summer involved?"

His wife immediately turned around, shaking her head. "No. I don't want the police involved in the least bit."

"She could help…"

"I'm not going to put her in the spot where she needs puts her job the line. That isn't fair."

Tai was about to rebuke her when she shot him down with an intense glare. "Don't even. I've made my choice for myself." He rolled his head back in defeat. _God, she is so stubborn._ He lamented, but to be honest, that's why she loved her.

He nodded slowly. "I know… it's just this can get out of hand really quickly."

"So what would you do? Send him back home, Tai?" She hissed.

He ran his hand over his face. "No Rae… I wouldn't." He was sounded even more defeated. "Is it really that bad?" He asked. She could only nod sadly. "Then he can stay as long as he needs too"

* * *

Jaune climbed the stairs to and headed back to "his" room. He noted how Yang's door was cracked open, thinking nothing of it. He entered his own room across from her's. He looked around amazed at how this was his home now. Incredibly spartan, but Jaune didn't mean. His eyes drifted over to the bed where he was rather incredibly surprised.

A small package on his bed in yellow gift wrap. He looked for a full minute. Is that for me?

 _'No... Someone left it there by accident.'_ The voice countered darkly

"Well…? Are you going to open it?" A voice out causing Jaune to practically jump out of his skin, being torn out of his mental debate. He turned to face a smiling Yang leaning in the doorway.

"Uh…? That's for me...?"

She gave a playful shove, making him stumble over towards the bed. He walked over, looking at the package as he picked it up. He looked at the tag reading, "Happy Birthday." He turned to looked at the blonde. "How…?"

She shrugged. "I found you on Facebook, said your birthday was yesterday. So I figured might as well." _Why would she, though? It didn't make any sense._ "Well… open it.." She teased.

He slowly opened the package to reveal something he did not expect. The Halo Forerunner Saga complete trilogy. He wanted to get this for months now. He sat down on the bed trying to sort everything. "So?" She asked expectantly.

"How did you know?" He gawked, still in amazement.

"Facebook." She replied simply as she received a questioning stare. "I wasn't stalking you anything… I didn't mean too…." She said nervously, sensing what he might have thought.

"Thank you." He said with a genuine look as he ran his hand along the box. "So much." This was the only gift he had gotten for his birthday and by a stranger no less. "I don't know what to say…."

She waved her hand "Psht, it was nothing I won't lie, I'm glad you like halo. I have someone I can whoop at any time." She smirked. _Yeah, her mom wasn't kidding..._

Jaune raised an eyebrow at the challenge. "Is that so?"

"Definitely, Diamond three." She boasted.

"Yeah? Diamond six." Jaune shot back with his head held high.

"Hey." Both turned around to see Tai. "Dinner's ready you two."

"What's for dinner?" His daughter asked. Tai's eyes wandered over to Jaune slightly, before going back to his daughter. "Nothing good, as usual."

The blonde girl shoved her dad playful which made Jaune smile seeing the two goof around. He would be lying though if he didn't say that he didn't feel a pang of jealousy

At that, the three found themselves surrounded by a large assortment of wings and pizzas, including Jaune's favorite, veggie. The black haired woman was leaning on the counter, arms crossed as she watched them fill plates. Jaune took a step back letting both blondes get their food.

Once Tai finished his plate, he shot Jaune a disgusted look. "Veggie?" He almost hissed. Jaune looked at his plate, three massive slices of supreme meat. Almost repulsive to Jaune.

Tai looked at his plate then back to Jaune. "What? Protein is good for you…"

"If you want a heart attack..." His wife muttered under her breath earning a chuckle from Jaune as he grabbed his own plate and started picking his slices. He opted to sit across from Yang as Raven grabbed her own plate and sat at the other end of the table.

At that moment, Jaune carefree, as if all the troubles in the world were gone. He had something he always wanted but never got. Here it was right in front of him. Serenity. Genuine calmness. Stability.

He looked around the table, enjoying the relative calmness. It was as if the seas were settling, the waves calming, the sharks dispersing. That moment when he wished he had died…. That he was hit by a car, he was glad it didn't happen.

"Ya know….. Eating food before it gets cold is the smart thing you do" The blonde girl nodded towards his plate with a smirk.

"Cold pizza is better." Jaune shot back with a smile.

Yang nodded approvingly with a grin. "You too? Ohmygod we are going to get along just fine."

"Sheesh," Raven rolled her eyes with a fond smile as she reached for a large bottle of hot sauce. She couldn't help but to feel more at ease as Jaune was starting to fit in rather nicely with Yang. She was proud of her daughter, already treating like a close friend in not even a full day of knowing Jaune. And Jaune? Well, it took a lot of guts to do what he did, but to see him casual and throw banter right back at Yang, it made her smile grow even more. However, something like today and yesterday, that isn't shaken off quickly, if ever. He was going to be in through some hard times. "You two are weirdos." She scoffed as she doused her wings in the spicy marinade.

Her husband raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Them?" He almost sounded defensive. "Alright, Mrs. Ruin perfectly good wings." He looked at his wife's plate, her wings barely distinguishable from the sauce. Both children looked at the plate, disgusted. "Want some wings with that sauce?" Her daughter shot back with a hint of amusement.

Her mother shrugged casually. "Sure." As she continued to pour her sauce. They don't know what's good… She gave a light-hearted scowl earning everyone's laughter at her expense. Deep down, though, she didn't mind.

* * *

Jaune would be lying if he said he didn't go too hard on his pizza, yet he still has six slices for him tomorrow. After the meal, which Jaune may have pigged out on, he and the family went out to the common room to watch a movie. That was when he discovered Raven did enjoy her star wars… quite a bit actually, something that honestly surprised him.

After watching Episode 7 Director's Cut, Yang suggested she that the two hang out, which was only encouraged by Raven while he received rather strange looks from Taiyang. Once upstairs, Jaune grabbed the first book from the series walked next door to her room. Rather clean for stereotypical teenage girl's room... and less vibrant.

There she was sitting in a foldable chair as she thumbed over to the bed. "Take a load off." At first it was little awkward seeing this stranger, being so casual. He was kinda extremely rattled by this in fact. He sat on the edge of the bed, still feeling as little unsure about any of this as the blonde girl booted up Halo.

"So what else do you play?" She asked as she sorted through the multiplayer menu as she gave a brief glance over towards his direction "You can comfortable too you know."

Jaune nodded as he schouched onto the bed watching the descent 32inch sitting on a stand. The lobby started to fill up as Jaune listed them off "Ehh mostly shooters. I love halo." He could see the grin of Yang's grow exponentially. "I do some battlefield and I just been getting into Dark Souls."

 ***BEEP***

 ***BEEP***

The screen went black ***BOOP*** Yang switched her to her sidearm as she said, "Please tell me you don't play cod…" She asked sourly as she scored a double kill with one clip. Not bad. He thought to himself as he got more comfortable.

"Nah… Past BLOPS2, it went down hill."

Yang nodded as she bit her lip doing a ground pound at a group of two. She then quickly dropped each one with a headshot with the BR. "Yeah… I have to agree." She glanced over to see Jaune still sitting on the bed fidgeting awkwardly

"Dude chill, I don't bite." She winked suggestively "Much." Jaune eyes went wide to the point he felt like they were going to pop out as he blinked trying to comprehend this girl. She gave a playful backhand to the shoulder. "Relax, I'm kidding."

He managed to a little chortle, but seriously this was all different to him. Yang picked up the DMR and opened fired dropping an opponent before being gun down by another opponent with a DMR. "God that's stupid."

Jaune could see her mistake. "A trick I learned… when fire burst weapons when the reticle shrinks you can fire again just right before it reaches its normal spot. It allows you to fire an extra shot faster."

"Huh…". She muttered as she fired the DMR again, watching the inner reticle expand and then shrink right before it rested she tried firing allowing her to get another shot off. "How'd you learn that…?"

"I'm super competitive…" he admitted bashfully. "Only I use is the DMR.."

Yang chuckled. "Noob, BR is where it's at." She said as she scored a sticky grenade kill before dying with that, her team won.

After a few more games, which Yang tried to get him to play, but he wasn't in the mood, to be honest, he found him laying on Yang's bed beginning to read the intro of his new book.

While they were doing their own thing, that made idle conversation. Well, to be honest, it was mostly Jaune getting to know Yang. She did her best to ask questions but he wiggles his way out of those…. or she gave up… or sensed it was a sore subject.

* * *

"He's up there with my little dragon…". Tai muttered as Raven peered over her book giving a slight frown.

"Tai, I know you're protective, but he isn't like that…" She muttered as she continued to read her book.

Tai paced back and forth down in the living room, feeling rather anxious. "I'm going to check on them." He finally said.

His wife clamped her book shut with her with a resounding thud. Slightly annoyed, she pinched her nose shaking her head at her husband's needless worry. "Give him so credit…. He's been through alot in less than 24 hours…"

Not willing to be dissuaded, the man headed towards the main hallway, climbing up the stairs quietly listening. He could hear the gunshots of Yang's game as he reached the top. He lined up against the wall, sneaking over until he peeked inside. To his heart's relief, he saw the blonde boy laying on his daughter's bed, reading the book. He looked up only to say "Nice double."

"How are you liking the book?" He could hear his daughter ask.

"Hard to read, but good. Really liking it so far." He admitted as he went back to the book.

"So would you mind if I borrow it after you're done?" She asked.

"Sure, don't even need to ask." He said not bothering to look up.

He felt a tap on his shoulder which almost made the man jump out of his skin. He was greeted by his wife, who was leaning up on the wall with that smirk that said 'what did I say?'

"Hey uhh…. Yang." Jaune asked almost timid.

Tai pressed his ear closer to the chagrin of his wife. It sounded like the game stopped. "What's up?" She asked.

"I… uh… well…" Tai braced himself, preparing to leap in. "I hope I'm not bothering you being here… I mean I don't want to be a problem for you." That statement…. That statement struck Tai as he straightened, a look of confusion. Little did he know that his own wife was listening in.

"Heck no. I mean yeah, we just met but you seem pretty cool." He could hear the happiness in her voice, but it quickly faded into a serious Yang that he rarely heard. "For real though, I know you're going through some stuff."

"Yeah… I…"

His daughter interrupted. "Don't worry, you don't have to tell me, I get it, I'm not going to pry. But if you ever wanna talk, I'm here fo ya."

There was a brief moment of silence that would have ordinarily freaked Tai out. Finally, the silence was broken by a quiet, shy voice. "Thanks…. I appreciate it…."

"Sure thing, that's what friends are for."

Satisfied, Tai took a few steps back into his wife who stood there with an even more confident smirk. "Yep." She boasted. "Guess I'm right." For once, Tai was glad his wife was confident as hell about this. He nodded, gladly admitting defeat.

* * *

 _Life is never a straight shot. It's never filled with just shit or bright rainbows. No, it's more of a rollercoaster. Just as you climb a hill, and think wrong can happen, you come crashing down. As you feel like you are going to crash into the ground, you start to rise up the hill. Nothing in this world is ever is clear and cut; nothing should be expected, there is always a surprise around a corner._

 _Usually, I hate surprises. But the one surprise I wasn't afraid of was meeting Yang. In fact, I'm rather surprised how fast we became friends. Even though she can be obnoxious at times, she has a heart of gold. Her mother was right, we became friends right away. It was a start of a friendship that would last a very long time, even up to this day._

* * *

Hi guys!

Another Chapter here and oh my I think this was my longest one yet!

Can I just say I like gamer Yang... but that's just me. But for real we have our first new character! Tell me what you think of her! I would love to hear your thoughts.

Now I know some of you were touched by the last chapter, and that was the point. The whole point of this story is to illustrate that life isn't just some rainbows and paintings. There are problems that people face on a consistent basis, during the past, present, and future. Also when things seem to be at the lowest, there is often hope in unexpected places...

Okay... that being said, we've got about one more chapter before we get into Summer marching band which you know what that means... certain characters are coming back! But before we get there, we have one more new character to introduce... I wonder who's it going to be... hmmmmm...

So if you guys have thoughts, predictions, reactions, questions, reactions, any and all, let me know what you think! I love to hear from all of my readers.

REVIEWS!

Anti Poison: Hey mate! Thanks for leaving the review, always appreciated! Unfortunately, I have to agree with you, not everyone has an easy life... I wouldn't say Ch 13 makes you think that life is shit... to me... it's more of people can be pushed to their limit, and when they have given up hope, there something that helps them back up to their feet, ya know? I'm glad you like the chapter! It means a lot. Hopefully you liked this chapter. Then again, that my own interpretation, but hey I always welcome other thoughts! Thanks for sharing mate!

Cpt. Lynx: *HUG* SUP BRUH!? But for real yeah things escalated quickly and yeah he should be arrested and charged huh? I mean that's pretty rough stuff though... Ye[ you were right, we got a YANG!

Morgoth: Hello my friend! Glad you like the chapter, it means a lot. Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for the review, always appreciated!

Xerzo: Hey mate! No worries. But yeah... Jaune has been through a lot... but hey sometimes there a person who can pick you up somewhere sometime. I'm sorry about the tone of the chapter, but I can't be... it had to be set that way. Just remember, as things seem at their darkest, there is some light at the end of the tunnel.

Guest review: Hello friend. Thanks for the input, pm me or just don't read, it isn't that hard of a concept in my opinion... Have a good one mate :D

Yukas: MY FRIEND! Yeah... that chapter was pretty rough lol... I'm tired of Canon Raven too... so we have Sauron Raven... which according to Shaded is best Raven xD Oh don't you worry bout Weiss, she's coming back, and Neptune? We haven't seen the last of him! As for ships... lol don't worry, cute and fluffy scenes will be coming. As for the Neptune/Weiss/Jaune situation, no comments. Sorry mate! lol Hopefully you liked the chapter. Always a pleasure friend.


	15. Chapter 15: Gray Area

**Chapter 15: Gray Area**

 _Doing what is right because it is right is harder said than done. We tend to think that doing the right thing is so crystal clear and resolute. It isn't._

 _My friendship with Weiss is clear evidence to that statement._

 _The Summer incident was also that. How often I thought I was alone, and that my actions only affected those around me. I had no real concept that people knowing me would fundamentally change them. They would have to make decisions based off of their own perception of what is good. Is it good to defy the law to help someone, to keep a secret? Is it good to follow the law to condemn someone into an unknown existence, an unceertain future?_

* * *

It's been a week Jaune "moved" and things, he had to admit, were settling down. He wasn't asked to help around the house or to help Yang with chores, but that didn't stop him. He helped her with laundry, cutting grass, gardening, dishes, and other chores.

Raven insisted that he stop for the sake of his heart, but that didn't stop him. He was determined to be useful while he was here. It was during these times where Jaune got to know more about Branwen-Xiao-Long household. Apparently Yang cousin, someone by the name Ruby Rose often came by. However, he had yet to meet her, he would cross that bridge when he got there. Then again, he didn't want to interfere with their lives, no matter how many times they said he wasn't, he felt almost like an intruder.

Regardless, he was able to bond with Yang rather quickly. She was easy to get along with while also being nonchalant with having a complete stranger living with her. He would dare say that the two of them were friends by now. It was rather odd for him to think how the two were able to become friends in the strangest and most horrible of circumstances. In a way, he was kind of glad of the event or else the two wouldn't have met. Odd how good comes out of the bad.

He couldn't help but to enjoy this particular moment during summer. It wasn't too hot, not too cold, the sun was shining with the occasional cloud to give some shade, a slight breeze blew through the yard. The buzz saw sound of a weed whacker echoed through the air as Tai cleared the banks along the creek so he could go fishing later. The rather tiresome whine was only matched by the lawn mower that Yang was on. Around the house. Raven was out pulling weeds from their vegetable garden, and here Jaune was hanging up some towels to be dried. He didn't mind the work, it made him feel like he was being helpful.

The lawn mower stopped as Jaune hung the last towel up. "Hey Yang." He said as he tossed a towel at the sweaty blonde.

"Thanks." She said as she wiped her face with a grin. "Sup towel boy. We still on for tonight?"

He crossed his arms defensively, "Of course not." He held his chin up dramatically closing his eyes.

"Cool." Yang smirked, "more popcorn for me..."

He lowered his chin, peeking out of one his eyes."Woah, woah, woah, if it means getting some popcorn, I guess I can free some of my schedule up for you." To be honest, he was kinda glad that Yang introduced him Game of Thrones, he was hooked instantly. As were her parents oddly enough.

The blonde flicked him on the head. " Yeah cause you are such a busy person huh? This time, we add salt to the popcorn." At that she handed him the towel, she started up the mower. He decided to switch gears. He found an old pair of work gloves and decided to help pull some weeds out of the front garden.

About an hour to the task, he stopped hearing the lawnmower. "Jaune!" Raven called out, "Lunch is ready."

At that, Jaune stood up stretching his legs as he removed his gloves. He came through the front door to be greeted with Tai sitting by the counter wiping the sweat of his brow as he picked up a sandwich and took a bite.

Yang was nibbling on some chips, flipping through the most recent Game Informer. Sitting beside her was her mother who was sitting at the end of the table with a laptop and several books out. Apparently all of them on Southern society during the Civil War.

Jaune looked over at the table to see his own plate, sandwich and chips. He sat down, picking up his sandwich, a turkey, ham, and cheese with mustard. "God I can't believe you like your sandwich with mustard" Yang made a gagging sound.

A pair of red eyes peered over a laptop screen. "Some people like spice on their food." Raven reminded them as she went back to her books.

"So Jaune, they just made an announcement." Yang spoke up, perking his curiosity.

He gave her an intrigued look. "Oh? And what would that be?"

Her light-hearted mood only skyrocketed. "New DLC for Battlefield One!"

That really got his attention, that was one of his favorite games, besides Halo obviously. "Yeah? What is it?"

She gave a slight chuckle. "It's called They Shall Not Pass."

Tai started to crack up in laughter. "What? Did Gandalf fight in World War One now?"

His daughter rolled her eyes at the comment. "No." Her tone as if talking to a child that knew nothing. "It's on the siege of Verdun."

"Oh that's going to be brutal…" Jaune thought out loud thinking of all the mud and trenches. He wouldn't lie, that sounded pretty amazing.

"I know! Two new operations" Yang grinned in excitement.

Just then the phone rang causing Raven to throw her arms up in defeat. "Can I not get any work done!?" Taiyang started to chuckle as he reached for the phone. "I got it." He said as his wife smiled as she went back to her computer.

"Hello?"

Jaune went back to eating his lunch. "Anything else you need done?" He asked, taking a small bite of his sandwich. The black-haired woman sat up, tapping her chin in thought before smiling mischievously. "Yeah." She smiled towards Jaune and Yang. "Who wants to do my paper?"

They immediately looked at one another. "Why did you have to open your mouth.." Yang rolled her eyes as she went back to eating.

Jaune quickly shook his head. Listening to his teacher muttering something along the lines of "No one ever wants to help with my paper."

"Yeah… alright…. Yep, see ya in a bit bird brain." Tai said as he ended the phone call. He could see everyone was looking at him, "Qrow and Summer are stopping by." Jaune blinked, looking at how everyone seemed to be eager. Qrow… Qrow didn't know yet….. And Summer… a complete stranger to him. _They're going to have to explain a lot of things them._ He realized. Like why the hell was Jaune staying with them?

"Is Ruby coming?" Yang asked expectantly. Her father nodded. _Great another person…. Another fucking person. Her cousin of all people. Just great._ Now… now he wasn't hungry. For some reason, he felt really out of place now.

At the conclusion of lunch, Jaune did his best to put up his wall with a smile as he washed his plate. "You two go have fun." Tai said as he took everyone 's plates.

As was customary, Jaune and Yang went upstairs while the adults stayed downstairs, Raven continuing to chug through her Master's Thesis as Tai went about cleaning the house, getting it ready for their guests.

* * *

Yang plopped down on her bed as Jaune sat on a rather overstuffed fuzzy bean bag chair, both their eyes glued to the t.v. The occasional munching on popcorn could be heard from the rather intense scene.

 _A sweet low melody played from top of the balcony as the instrumentalists continued their music only to be drowned out as the heavy doors were shut in the great hall. The tone was so familiar as the slightly elderly woman looked as if remembering the tone._

 _The old man, who sat on an elevated stage where the his immediate family sat with him, rose hand decrepitly, causing the musicians to stop their lowly tune. "Your grace." The elderly man stood up fraying robes that would have been majestic years ago. In his age induced trembling hand was goblet of wine. The King of the North, Robb looked over, a content smile on his face. "I feel reminisced in my duties." His smile displayed his rotten teeth, his voice jovial yet gravely from age. "I have given you meat, wine, and music. But I haven't shown you the hospitality that you deserve."_

 _Catelyn's eyes shifted to her companion, the second in Command, Roose Bolton, sitting beside her, his arm resting over the table. "My king has married, and I owe my new queen a wedding gift." Their eyes met as he looked down to his hand. With a sense of trepidation, she gulped as she pulled the sleeve of his fine tunic to be greeted with a coat of mail and padding. She immediately stood up, slapping the man across the face which echoed throughout the hall._

"Nonono." Jaune muttered at the foreboding dread. He looked over to his friend for some kind of reassurance. Her frown only made the pit in his stomach grow. A howling shout drew his attention back to the t.v. "He's going to make it! He has to make it!" He muttered to himself.

" _ROBB!" However, the warning came too late. The camera panned to a young woman, the beautiful wife of the young king, being stabbed several times in the womb by a gruff, dirty unshaven man. The young man turned in shock to see his wife stand up clutching her belly._

 _ ***KATCHINK KATCHINK KATCHINK***_

 _The instrumentalists put down their weapons and brandished light crossbows that unleashed the deadly bolts. She watched as her son was shot in the shoulder by a bolt, its tip coming out the other side._

 _His men drew their swords, but were sluggish from the abundance of wine and food. They were stabbed in the back by their hosts, as their dining companions from the household unsheathed their daggers, slicing the necks of the Northerners as crossbow bolts rained down upon the great hall._

 _Catelyn looked as his son's wife stood up clutching her belly. Color quickly fading from her cheeks as she collapsed to the floor. Her son tried to reach over to her only to be impaled by two more bolts, collapsing two the ground, the echoes of his men dying filled the chamber much to the delight of the old lord._

 _Catelyn collapsed to the ground from a crossbow bolt crashing into her shoulder. She could see the old man continue to drink from his goblet as death filled his hall._

Jaune eyes were locked on the tv screen. He couldn't believe the bloody Freys betrayed his favorite character, the King of the North, Robb Stark. The only real decent person in the entire series. George R. R. Martin was toying with his emotions yet again… Yang did warn him not to get attached to any character but he thought nothing of it.

 _The Stark mother crawled underneath the table as men collapsed all around her, their death gurgles echoing in her mind. She saw cowering on the opposite side, a young girl, the wife to Lord Walder Frey._

 _Robb stumbled to his feet as the Lord Walder Frey raised his hand, signaling for his men to stop. "The King of the North arises!" The elderly man mocked as he toasted the young man struggling to get to his wife. He crawled over to his wife, He could see the blood gushing from her wound as he pulled Talisa Stark into his arms._

" _LORD WALDER!" Catelyn shouted, in her arms, Walder Frey's young wife with a knife to her throat. "LORD WALDER ENOUGH! LET IT END!" the mother of Robb, pleaded. "Please. Let it end. Please, he's my son. My first born son!" Her voice filled with desperation of a mother her lost all of her children but Robb. "Let him go, and I swear we will let this go. I swear it by the old gods and the new! We will take no vengeance."_

 _The older man looked at her with disgust. "You already swore me one oath underneath this castle. You swore to all the gods that your son would marry my daughter!" He spat vehemently._

" _Take me as your hostage! But please let him go!" She pleaded in a futile attempt. She turned to face her son who hadn't budge from his wife's corpse. "Rob please! Rob go! GET OUT! GET UP AND WALK OUT!"_

 _The older man gave a sinister smile. "And why would I let him do that…?" Filled with renewed rage. She grabbed Walder Frey's wife's hair, bringing the knife ever closer to her throat._

" _On my honor as a Tully, on my honor as a Stark. LET HIM GO OR I'LL CUT YOUR WIFE'S THROAT!"_

 _Rob struggled to his feet calling out in a weak voice. "Mother."_

"Oh god no…." He watched, his jaw unhinged as Robb's second in command walked up to the young king whispering _Lannisters send their regards_ as he stabbed his favorite character in the heart.

Jaune heart sank seeing Caitlyn let out a sad shriek as a man came up and slit her throat, blood flowing down as she crashed to the floor with a thud, the screen turning black. "It still gets me…" Yang finally said as she turned on the controller.

The two sat there in relative silence before looked over, "More?" He asked with sense of need. He won't lie he got really hooked on Game of Thrones. How could he not? Great plot, lots of action, lots of death. He was thankful that Yang introduced him to it.

Yang blinked rather surprised. She thought that the scene would have punched him in the gut. She gave smirk, nodding. "More. Want some more popcorn?" She asked looking at his bowl.

Jaune looked to find that an hour of Game of Thrones and a bowl of popcorn led to no more popcorn. He looked giving a sheepish smile. "Only if you're getting more."

Yang rolled her eyes at the stupid comment. "Duh, always need popcorn."

A muffled slam could be heard outside as Yang out of her bed to head over to her window. Her grin grew even larger as she turned to face her friend. "Well Jaune, I think it's time you meet Ruby."

Jaune quickly raised a smile masking the hesitation. The thoughts that ran through his mind. The questions he ran in his mind that this girl might have thought. _Yang who is this? How do you know him? Why is some stranger staying with you?_

He felt a small tug on his sleeve as Yang tried to get his attention. "Alright alright, I'm coming." Yang thundered down the stairs as if a child on Christmas Day.

The door opened up as a familiar tall lanky man walked in wearing a loose fitting shirt and some cargo shorts.. and sandals. His red eyes covered up by shades.

This was a rather different Qrow from school Qrow. He took off his subs glasses as Yang crashed into him hugging him. "Hey there fireball. How's it goin?" He asked coolly

Jaune could see the fondness that Yang had as she smiled back. "Nothing much old man."

By then, a smaller woman walked in with a white hood covering her face. Yang veered away moved towards the hooded woman. With a great big hug she grabbed ahold of the hooded woman. "Hey sunflower!" She embraced the blonde girl

 _That voice… it sounds so familiar._ He thought to himself as He watched from the stairs. Tai came up embracing Qrow "Bird brain." He wrapped his arm around the lanky man. Meanwhile, Raven ushered the last newcomer, a spitting image of the first women only shorter and younger. "Come on in Ruby. Don't be shy."

She closed the door behind the other girl. The woman looked up the staircase. "Come on down, Jaune." He could feel all eyes slowly shift on him, the other woman in the white hood jaw unhinged, as Qrow had a look of utter surprise before looking at his sister expecting an answer.

That's when it hit him. That woman from a week ago. The officer was her, right in front of her and married to his band instructor. He felt his throat become constricted. The images being played right in front of his eyes. Her face, her silver eyes, dragged all the memories back. They were played right before his eyes.

He could feel the hands around his neck slowly tightening. He could feel the scar on his hand start to ache. His shoulder began to go numb from being tossed against the drywall. He could feel his heart pounding away as if it were ticking time bomb.

He saw the gun right in front of his eyes as he grasped the handrail for dear life. He felt an empty pit in his stomach grow as he heard the clicking of an empty gun going off. He didn't see Qrow's wife from the picture, he saw the police officer pointing a gun at his father.

Yang looked up seeing Jaune standing at the top of the staircase, looking pale as a ghost, his blue eyes staring down at all of them as if he were a zombie. "Uhh… is he alright?" Ruby asked.

Summer looked up at the boy in question, her smile quickly fading away. This wasn't unnoticed by Jaune as he breathed methodically, eyes growing larger as he blinked several times. He drummed his fingers on the wooden railing on the staircase. _Just breathe. Just. Breathe. Everything is fine. Be normal and everything will be alright._ He reassured himself.

He walked down the staircase, putting on a smile. He reached the bottom of the staircase noticing the strange look from Qrow. His sister elbowed him before "Hi Jaune…?" He greeted almost questioningly. _He knows something…._

"Hey." Jaune greeted, his voice still sounding croaky. Yang finally broke the awkwardness by pushing the smaller girl in red hood forward. She looked just like the white hooded women, just smaller. "Jaune, this is Ruby. Ruby this is Jaune."

Jaune blinked at the awkward introduction but offered his hand in greeting. The girl didn't say anything as she took a step closer to Yang, not even making eye contact. "Come on Ruby." Yang whispered harshly. "Don't be rude."

 _Great first start..._ He lamented as he could feel the adults cringe at the awkwardness. However, the girl finally took his hand lightly give a small and weak shake. "Nice to meet you…" She mumbled under her breath.

Raven could sense the literal awkwardness in the house. Deciding that something had to be done, she broke the silence "Why don't you kids go out and do something." Her crimson eyes sparked with an idea, hoping it would work. "Jaune hasn't really been around Newport. Why don't you show him around."

The bait was taken. "That's a great idea!" Yang draped her arm around Jaune and Ruby pulling them in closer. "Don't you think you guys?" _Thank God. Jaune felt the stress slowly melt away, if only partially._

Jaune could hear Ruby mumble "Sure." As he just simply nodded. With that, Raven disappeared only to reappear, giving Yang a twenty dollar bill.

"In case you decide you need some extra cash." Jaune quickly went to pick up his converse shoes while Yang strapped on her typical brown knee high boots.

With that the three were ready. "Let's get going." Yang said as she opened the door.

* * *

Raven was not happy. She usually was on top of things but this was a whole new ball game. She hadn't told her brother about the whole Jaune situation. It wasn't necessarily that she didn't trust him with the information, more like not putting more stress on the boy. Which failed. Failed miserably.

Summer sat down beside her. Yet there was tension in the kitchen. Raven shut her laptop looking around everyone. "Well let's get the elephant out of the room."

His brother stopped rummaging through the cupboard, slowly turning to face his sister. "So why is Jaune here…?"

She knew what he was thinking "He was having some serious family problems." She could see the look on his face as she crossed her arms. "And no. I'm not going to tell you, it's his decision, not mine."

Qrow looked like he was going to protest but must have realized the he would have lost. The kitchen fell into silence as she watched everyone. Tai had a blank expression as he continued to make dinner. Qrow hid his emotions as he went to grab a glass and fill it up with some orange juice. In truth, she was afraid of Summer a great deal whose silver eyes were locked onto the table.

"I knew he was familiar…." She finally admitted, her eyes not leaving the table.

Raven's eyes widened in horror as Tai asked "Summer, what do you mean?"

The normally chirpy woman that was their little group's expert on cheerfulness was not smiling. "I was there… I was the one who responded to the call." Causing Qrow to drop his glass to the floor, smashing into bits of glass.

Tai didn't even seem phased by that as he stared at the white hooded woman. "You're kiddin…." he turned to look at her husband for confirmation. "She has to be joking right? Please tell me she is…"

Summer cleared her throat causing all eyes to drift over to her. "I'm over here, and no, Tai. I am not joking." She said pointedly as she glared at him. "Civil disturbance, child abuse. We arrested his father." Her glare softened as she couldn't meet their gaze. "I was even the one to take their reports…. I should have notified child protective services, but his mother insisted not to get them involved."

"Holy shit." Qrow muttered to himself.

"How bad was it?" Tai asked.

"Real bad." Her silver eyes shifted over to the raven haired woman sitting beside her. "Raven please tell me you you didn't …"

She crossed her arms, "What?" She asked defensively.

"Kidnap…"

Raven brought a hand up to forehead in exasperation letting out a sigh. "God no…". She lowered her hand, glaring at her friend. "I'm brash, but I'm not stupid." She said with a hint of pride.

"Does his…?"

She rolled her crimson eyes, almost hurt by her friend's questions. "Yes, his mother gave permission."

Summer let out a breath as she relaxed. Her stern look instantly lightened up. "That's good."

However, Raven knew how her childhood friend thought. "Summer we can't get CPS involved." Her voice hushed as she watched Tai and Qrow clean up the broken glass.

"What?" Wide silver eyes met crimson. "Rae, it's the law, it needs to be reported."

"Make a exception." she practically demanded.

"Rae, they can help."

* _ **THUD**_ * A fist slammed down on the table. as seething red eyes bore into the table. "I said no." She could feel everyone's eyes stare at her. She inhaled slowly, trying to calm herself. "Those bastards screwed us over before. Those bastards put us in a foster home." She gritted her teeth at the memory. "Those shits that the state said were supposed to be better than our own parents were far worse."

Summer shrunken away at the sudden display. Raven was a hot head at times, but rarely so towards her. Dangerous red eyes flashed towards her. Summer was a cop and dealt with some dangerous things, but Raven angry was something that instilled fear. "You of all people should know how bad it was. Don't you remember when Qrow and I came over." She practically snarled. "We were covered in bruises half the fucking time."

"I didn't mean it like that.." The white hooded woman said timidly causing the taller woman to shoot up, leaning on the table.

" _Please. Enlighten me. What did you mean…"_ She whispered filled with a great amount of hostility.

"Raven." Qrow tried to call out only to be met with harsh red eyes. "You need to relax."

That set her sister off. "Me? Relax? I'm just fucking dandy. It's not my fault the system is fucking broken. It's not my fault we taken out of an abusive home only to be placed into shittier one. Yet some of us want to forget that." She shot back at her brother, before turning back to Summer. "Now we want to send someone else to the same system that is broken. You want him to end up like us?"

"RAVEN." Tai's voice boomed throughout the house. His usually carefree blue eyes now filled with a certain fury of dragon. Rage filled crimson eyes met unyielding "ENOUGH. GO COOL IT. NOW." The two looked at each other while Qrow and Summer looked at one another feeling the tension in the air.

Each moment feeling like an eternity. She pushed off the table furious with everyone's betrayal. She walked past everyone towards the sliding door in the kitchen and slamming it behind her leaving a very stunned Qrow, upset Summer, and angry Tai.

"Yeah…" Qrow breathed, finally blinking in shock as he stared at the wall. "That was a thing…"

* * *

Raven watched the stream flow down. The trickle of water often had a calming affect on her. She listened as the water ran its course through the jutting rocks.

She grabbed a small pebble and flung it out, trying to make the rock skip across the water failing miserably as it just * **THWANK*** in the water.

She let out a sigh as ran her hand through the grass. It had been a couple of hours by the look of the sun was creeping down casting an orange hue over the mountain.

She let out a breath. Her outburst made her feel horribly guilty. She didn't mean to snap at her best friend, her brother, angering her easy going husband. Though she didn't feel guilty about her points.

She felt a light thud as she jumped slightly in surprise. "Hey." She didn't need to look to know it was Summer. The taller woman simply grunted in response. From the the corner of her eye, she watched as her friend take off her boots and stuck her feet in the water.

The two sat there for awhile as Summer did figure 8s in the water. "Remember when we first met?" Her voice quiet and hushed barely audible from the stream.

A moment passed before Raven nodded. It wasn't her proudest moments. "You hated my guts." Summer let a small chortle in fondness. Her silver eyes shown with a certain joy that couldn't be described. "I mean you just didn't want anything to do with me."

Her red eyes couldn't even meet her, her eyes focused on the riverbed, where the occasional crayfish zoomed by. "I'm sor-"

"Ahbaba!" Summer placed an index finger over her own month. "Just listen, 'kay?" With that, red eyes finally met silver as she nodded allowing her friend to keep going. "Sixth grade Rae. You came into class alone and scared because they divided you and Qrow into different classes. I remember it as if it were yesterday. At lunch, you sat alone, scowling at anyone who came near you. When I sat beside you asked what the hell I was doing. You tried your hardest to push me away." Raven listened to the tale. Memories becoming more vivid. She remembered how much of a cold-hearted bitch she was. The walls she put up to defend herself.

"I finally managed to get you talk to me but imagine it was to get me to shut up." She chuckled. "But I finally managed the courage to ask you come over. You remember?" She asked sadly. The crimson eyed woman remembered a great deal as she brought a hand up to her cheek. "You came over during a rainstorm, drenched with Qrow. When I opened the door, there you two were, shivering, wet, you two looked like you went through hell but you insisted that I cover for you and your brother. I lied to my parents for you."

Raven could feel her throat tighten up as push the tears down. She cleared her throat lightly, trying to get over the lump in her throat "Thank y-"

Summer shot her a look to keep her mouth shut. Immediately she clamped her mouth shut. "That night, Qrow passed out before us. We camped out in the living room. In our pillow fort." Raven couldn't help but smile. At the time, she thought it was childish, but deep down she enjoyed it. There's just something magical with building a barricade of pillows and blankets during a thunderstorm. She knew kids built them when they were younger, but she and Qrow never had the experience and they were both grateful for Summer's insistence. That was just the beginning though. However what happened next is what cemented the friendship.

"You remember what I promised. No matter what, you can talk to me about anything. No matter what, I will help you." They looked one another in the eyes. "That includes now. Rae, I trust you. If you think this is the best thing to do, then I'll help any way I can."

The black-haired woman looked at her friend, words didn't express the joy, the relief, so she reacted from pure instinct. She reached out, wrapping her arms around Summer and dragged her into a hug. "Thank you Summer for being the best friend I could ever had wished for." The two shared in a warm embrace down by the riverbank, crickets singing and birds chirping.

Raven pulled away slightly, hands clasped onto Summer's shoulders. "Please, one thing though, don't let this get you fired."

Summer gave a mischievous smirk. "His mom is okay with this right?" Raven nodded giving her a questioning look. "Well considering how he's already friends with Yang, he's just spending time with her." Raven nodded approvingly as she gave a hand to her friend who took it. Just then Qrow and Tai emerged from behind two trees.

Raven looked at the two, her heart skipping a beat. _They had to had to hear all of it._ "How much?" She asked quietly.

"All of it." Qrow replied with a neutral voice. No hint of judgement, shock, sadness, or anger.

Her red eyes went from her brother to her husband, instantly feeling guilty. The two men walked down from the tree line, climbing over the large rocks along the bank. Qrow being his usual self, gave his sister the usual Branwen smirk letting her know all was forgiven. However, she couldn't help but to hug her brother. She broke away facing her husband. "No matter what, I'll always be here for you." Tai said as Raven embraced. She gave him a peck on the cheek.

"GROUP HUG!" Summer enforced dragging Qrow into the other couple. Throughout her life, she and Qrow had been through some horrible shit growing up. She wanted, tried, forced to forget. When she met Summer and Taiyang during middle school though, they changed her life in ways she couldn't even imagine and she promised with all her heart, she would pay it forward.

* * *

 _Looking back in hindsight, I won't lie, my current predicament not only affected me, but also those around me. It clearly affected my parents, that was clear. But it also affected others around me._

 _My position, my problem, put a lot of people in jeopardy with a system that was supposed to help others. However, the net doesn't always catch people, and when it does, people can get caught up in that net, even suffocated. I never really got the whole story with Raven till senior year, and when I did…. Let's just say I didn't think it was possible for my respect for that woman to rise higher, but it most certainly did._

 _Not only that, but Summer too. I wouldn't actually get to know Summer personally till a bit later, but I did discover that she was wonderful woman who risked a lot. I'm not talking about just her life on the line, but her job in general. She could have easily been fired, and heck even imprisoned along with Qrow and Raven for not reporting CPS._

 _The point, I suppose, is that when we think of ourselves as an individual, we are fundamentally wrong. Yes, we are ourselves, but we fail to consider how we are connected to other people, what we do and say have an impact on people, that is most certainly true, but just entering into someone's life will change everything. There is no real sense of "I" in my opinion, more of a "We."_

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hey guys! It's been a long long** _ **longgggg time**_ **!**

 **I guess I should kinda explain. Two words: Grad School xD. Two research projects coming up tends to fry the brain, and just makes it hard for me to write. That being said, the pace of upload is going to be longer due to school, I will do what I can though xD**

 **Apparently a lot of people liked the last chapter lol, thanks guys! I honestly thought people were going to hate my guts for that one… Honestly, what helped me write the two parter if you want to get in the feel for it was Letters From Iwo Jima OST Kuribayashi's Farewell. That really helped me through it… odd how it's one of the most depressing piano songs I've ever listened too lol.**

 **Soooo this chapter was about half and half I noticed. Half Jaune and Yang, and the rest being STRQ. My reasoning was that well I wanted to show that Jaune was getting kind of settled in, becoming better friends with Yang as well being a member or guest (take your pick) of the Branwen-Xiao-Long household. Oh and Game of Thrones, cause everyone likes the Red Wedding (I AM NOT CRYING) xD**

 **As for the STRQ half, yeah well we need some back story as well as character development (hopefully I portrayed well enough, we'll see though). Next chapter is going to be all about Jaune, Yang, and their new companion, Ruby. We'll see how that play out eh? Trust, me I can't wait! Bahahahahahaha!**

 **The format of the story is going to change a weee bit. Each Year is an arc, but each arc will cover a specific event or events. That being said, there will be more chapters (I think for an overall arc)**

 **Finally, I wanted to give a huge round of applause for Shaded, we're bumping him up from beta reader to basically co-author or some crap like that…. My point is that he is becoming instrumental these days with his help and stuff. Shaded speak.**

 **Shaded: Apparently I'm important… that's something that I'm not used to. How'd you enjoy the chapter? I am, as Sauron said, becoming more and more active in the creation of this story, and next chapter you'll see more of my influence. That's it… scroll down now.**

 **Lordxsauron: ^^^^ LMAO what a humble pie. As always. If you liked the chapter, please let us know. It makes Shaded so happy and we need him to be happy, it'll make me happy too :D. If you liked it, please leave a fav, follow, review, or pm. Give us your thoughts, reactions, predictions, questions, criticism, any and all is welcome and helps more then you know!**

 **ReViEwS!**

 **MorgothII: Hello my friend! Thank you so much for the review! Always appreciated! As for some Jaune and Yang PvP, don't you worry. I got that covered real real soon… maybe even next chapter….. ;) Hopefully you liked this chapter.**

 **Xerzo: Glad you like the chapter mate! Always appreciated to see a review from you. Yep, some good can come from bad in most unexpected ways lol as for shipping, still no comments! Summer chapters will be extended though! Never fear.**

 **Cpt. Lynx: HI BUDDY! It's been awhile at least for this story xD We can just say it was a special nonbirthday birthday or something idk. I'm glad you like Yang, my thoughts were the same with her playing MK with Qrow. So heck why don't we make it Halo xD. I feel like kidnapping Neptune and disguising Jaune would go horribly wrong lol but I like the thought. And I don't mind the whole ranting and rambling, I love it! *HUG* Hopefully you like the chapter.**

 **Convix: MY FRIEND! It has been a while! But don't worry I understand lol. Glad you like Yang and other chapters, hopefully I don't dissapoint!**

 **AlNation: My friend! I'm glad you like the chapter, it was tough, one and I thought people were either going to hate my guts or love it, so I'm glad you like it xD.**

 **Anonymous: Glad you like the story, hopefully you keep enjoying!**

 **Yukas: YUKAS! HELLO! *HUG* I'm glad you love the chapter mate! I'm glad you like Jaune and Yang being friends! I wanted it to happen so it did lol. As for halo, Ya, I know the feeling, I don't want to brag or anything, but I was pretty good at Halo 4, not 3 though, I was bad lol. As for shipping no comments! But you act like I tear down ships… I'm hurt! Listen, anything is possible, that's all I'mma say.**

 **As always, Thank you for reading my friends, till next time!**

 **-Forlorn Team**


	16. Chapter 16: Awkward Encounters

**Chapter 16: Awkward Encounters**

 _I don't trust people. Never have, never could. It was my greatest strength, my greatest weakness. Trusting people makes you vulnerable. However, it's also a two-way street._

* * *

An awkward silence stretched between the three for most of the walk, Ruby's natural shyness preventing her from talking in the presence of a stranger, and Jaune's fear of the discussion that the adults were having back home occupying the majority of his attention. Those two situations combined to leave Yang with little to nothing to work with conversation-wise, and she was growing sick of it. She was walking with two of her friends, and she couldn't talk to either of them.

"Hey," Yang chirped as she had an idea. "I'm a little hungry, how about you two?"

The blonde smiled lightly as both of her friends nodded. "Great!" She said excitedly, as she turned to lead them down the road. "Let's get some food then, don't worry I'll pay." She knew just the spot, a light bulb going off in her head.

The three walked down the road sticking close to the guard rail. Thankfully the township insisted on setting up a cycling/hiking lane for the occasional hiker who was seeking to set out on the Appalachian Trail that spanned from the Northern Maine to Northern Florida.

Now they were making good use of it even though they weren't actually hiking the trail, just hiking towards town, an enjoyable, scenic route along the Susquehanna River. The forested mountain on one side and the gradual decline with tree line that marked the beginning of the wide, gentle river bank. A rather serene sight to Jaune.

To be honest, this was his first time out, enjoying nature in a very long time. Now it was thrusted upon him, although, he didn't mind. However, there was a kink. Normally, even though normally is a stretch given only a week has passed, he would be fine doing this with Yang…. But her younger cousin Ruby was here and he just didn't know how to proceed.

Still relatively quiet after twenty minutes of walking, something that was rather irksome for the blonde. "So Rubes, what's been up with you? It's been awhile huh."

The younger girl looked at her cousin, eyes shifting suspiciously over to Jaune before returning to the sidewalk. She replied with a "Yep." that was barely audible as a car zoomed by.

Yang blinked, that didn't really answer anything. "Uh… wanna elaborate?" She asked, eyeing her up.

"Nope." Jaune could feel the frustration in Yang as he watched from the corner of his eye. She seemed to be getting frustrated by the lack of cooperation of the small silver-eyed girl. He couldn't help but to think that this was somehow related to his presence.

"Oh! Come on!" She draped an arm around Ruby bringing her in closer. "It's been like a month! Something, anything should have come up. Talk to good old Yang." Ruby slinked out of the blonde's grasp looking rather irritated.

" _Yanggg,_ stop."

The blonde raised her hands up defensively giving a defeated look. "Ya know, you're never like this when it's just you and me."

Relative silence filled the air as the three walked along the route, slowly houses started to appear one by one until they reached the intersection by the gas station. Only, this gas station was a little different, not only had all of the pumps been removed for some reason, but it also had a very flamboyant sign on the building that read, 'Poppaz.'

Ruby seemed to perk up a little bit as the trio approached the building and glanced over at the other two. She looked as if she was about to say something, before seeing the confusion on Jaune's face and deciding to say something despite her reservations. "You'll like it."

Jaune was surprised by Ruby's sudden willingness to speak, but when he turned to look at her, she was already hiding on the other side of Yang again. _I guess she cares enough to let me know I'm not eating poisoned food? Or she thinks that I'm being judgemental…?_

As the trio entered the building, they were greeted by a girl who Jaune could only describe as multi-colored. He couldn't tell if her hair was naturally pink, or naturally brown. All he knew was that half of it was one color, and the other half of it was the other. Not only that but she wore a Black shirt, that met with dark brown jeans, and white boots that came up to her knees. Something that took him a minute to notice was that she had two different colored eyes as well. One was a bright pink, the other a soft brown. Those same eyes shone with happiness as she walked up to them with a smile on her face. "Hello and welcome to Poppaz!" The girl exclaimed enthusiastically, but somehow quietly as well. "It's been a while, Yang."

Yang smiled easily as she walked towards the multi-colored girl. "Yeah, my mom always says something about heart attacks whenever I come here. It's not like it's that bad."

The girl smiled mischievously before she tilted her head and adopted a thoughtful expression, "well, with what you normally get.." she trailed off at the end before turning to Jaune. "Hello, my name is Neo. Roman and I own this little place, so if you ever have any requests or complaints, feel free to let me know."

"I- I'm Jaune," Jaune responded, not knowing what to think of the multi-colored girl. "Thanks."

The smile never left Neo's face as she took a step to the side, gesturing for the group to step up to the counter, and patting Ruby on the head. Jaune took this opportunity to look around. Oddly enough, this placed seemed to be a really weird mixture between a gas station, a restaurant, and a fast food restaurant. Having the snacks and 'ready-made food' that would be in a gas station, the menu of a fast food restaurant, and some tables off to the side for patrons to sit down.

As he walked closer to the counter, a man stepped up behind the counter. The man had bright orange hair that covered half of his face, light green eyes, and was wearing clothing similar to Neo's. Unlike Neo, he also wore a nametag that read 'Roman.'

"Why hello there, my overly blonde friend," he said as Yang stepped up to the counter. "What can I help you with today?"

"My friends and I would like some food, Roman," Yang responded while rolling her eyes.

"Of course you would, that's the only thing I'm good for now isn't it?" Roman asked dramatically. "Now what kind of food can I get for you three?"

"I'd like a barnyard burger please!" Ruby said excitedly.

"The normal for me," Yang said right after.

Jaune stood there in silence while looking at the menu for a few seconds until he found something that he knew he'd like. "A reuben please."

"A barnyard burger, a reuben, and a serving of taco chili cheese fries coming right up, you three just wait over there today's on the house, I'll deliver your varying levels of poor health choices soon."

The three waited in relative silence at one of the tables to the side, mostly broken by Yang attempting to get Ruby or Jaune to say anything. Jaune wasn't entirely sure why he couldn't bring himself to talk. He wasn't overly shy, but when it came down to it, he just couldn't trust himself to pay attention to a conversation at the moment. The silence was momentarily broken when Neo came by to chat for a few moments. It was a short conversation, but it was all Jaune needed to realize that she was a kind and understanding person. She also seemed to be perpetually smiling, as if she had already accomplished everything she felt was important in life. Neo left right as Roman approached with their food, having to go greet another customer as they entered the restaurant, fast-food, snack, everything in one food related place.

"Here's the reuben for the healthy boy, the barnyard burger for the one who eats a surprisingly large amount of food, and the taco chili cheese fries for the girl trying to get a heart attack," he said as he placed the respective meals in front of the person who ordered it.

As Jaune bit into his reuben his eyes lit up. "This is really good," he said with surprise evident in his voice.

Yang's response was to laugh, "did you really think I'd take you somewhere that had bad food?" The blonde asked, emphasizing the word 'bad.'

"No, I just didn't expect you to take me somewhere that happened to have the best reuben I've ever eaten."

"This place is really good," Ruby said happily as she bit into her burger, which seemed to have a little bit of everything piled onto it. "I'm surprised you've never been here before."

"I've never really had the opportunity to be in the area," Jaune replied with a shake of his head.

After that, Ruby seemed to remember who she was talking to, as she refused to say anything more. Simply focusing on her burger until it was gone and then waiting for the other two before getting up and leading them out of the food place.

"So… where next?" Yang asked after they were all outside. Not surprisingly, she didn't receive a response from either of her two friends. "I guess the arcade is as good a place as any for killing time."

With that, the three headed to the Arcade, where they spent a large portion of the day before the three of them finally got bored and started to head home.

* * *

Jaune still didn't know how to feel about Ruby, despite Yang's best efforts, there was definitely a fair amount of awkwardness in the trio. The smaller girl seemed to be getting slightly more comfortable, though Jaune felt that was more because she was learning to ignore him than anything else. The three were killing some extra time by sitting on a bench overlooking the Susquehanna River. It was a massive river. Across from them was City Island where the local baseball team played. They watched as a sailboat sailed by, its glittering sail shining as the sunlight slowly died away.

"Gosh, that looks like so much fun." Yang admired, her lilac eyes transfixed on the sailboat. Jaune couldn't disagree.

"Yang…"Ruby called out quietly.

No response. Jaune looked at the corner of his eye he could see Ruby tugging on her arm. Jaune stretched his legs out throwing his head back, pretending not to pay attention.

"You planning on going to Pyrrha's bonfire?" Jaune instantly perked up.

The blonde girl quirked an eyebrow "What? Really? When was she planning this"

Ruby rolled her eyes. "You should check your phone more often."

Yang shrugged. "Probs, but almost any time I look at it, I have messages of boys who are trying to hit on me. Gets old."

Ruby crossed her arms. "What if there's an emergency? How do I get ahold of you?"

She brushed her concern off with a wave of the hand. "You'll figure something out. You're creative." Earning an exasperated sigh from her cousin. She gave a small nudge with her elbow into Jaune causing him to sit up straight. "You wanna come?"

 _How can I? She didn't even invite me._ He thought to himself as sat himself up. As if Yang read his mind, she said "If I ask for you, she'll say yes. Don't feel like you're inviting yourself."

However, that wasn't the only inhibition. _I'll be going with Yang. She's going to ask how I know Yang. She'll be hurt because I've been spending more time with Yang then her, and Yang is a stranger compared to Pyrrha. I'm going to blurt everything OUT!_ His mind frantically raced. "Everything will be fine." She insisted.

For once, those words settled him. He believed those words. "If it isn't any problem."

"Nah." Yang grinned excitedly. She nudged her cousin. "Right Rubes?" Jaune looked over to the girl whose shoulders sagged

"Uhh… s-s-sure." She said, almost disappointed. _Well gee, don't sound too excited._ He sank back into the bench. Almost as if she could sense the tension, Yang stood up facing the two. She stretched her arms and legs letting out a yawn.

"You two wanna get going? I'm pretty beat."

Jaune didn't make any indication; he waited for Ruby. "Sure." The shy girl said as she stood up. With that Jaune stood up stretched his legs as he followed behind. He opted to take Yang's other side.

They made their way across the steel bridge that spanned over the large river. He kept to himself as Ruby mumbled to Yang which received the occasional snicker or two.

They made it across the rocky bridge and proceeded past the gas station to the right, walking along the river bank. They kept along the road as the number of houses became less and less.

They made back to the house as Yang opened the door to be greeted with all of the adults lounging around. Qrow was on a couch his arm wrapped around his wife with Raven was reading a book, her legs over her husband's lap. The door closed with a slight click causing all the adults to focus on the front door. "Hi guys!" Summer perked up, instantly jumping to her feet.

 _Just play it cool Jaune… be normal and she won't say anything._

"Hey mom!" Ruby greeted with an uncharismatically joyful tone.

"Did you guys have fun?" The hint of hopefulness in her tone.

"'Course we did." Yang thankfully answered as Jaune could Ruby fidgeting at the question. "We went Poppaz, ate only the healthiest."

"Heart attack," Tai muttered.

"Heart attack." Raven confirmed from her book.

"Hey French fries are made out of potatoes…" She crossed her arms earning a snicker from Ruby.

Jaune couldn't but roll his eyes. "Cheese, chili, and bacon dumped on them takes anything remotely healthy away from it." Jaune pointed out. "Oh wait…. They're _fried_ … there was nothing there to begin with." He said with a humble smile, neglecting the daggers from Yang.

"Rae, you were right, he's got some spunk in him! I like him!" Summer giggled as she watched Yang give a sharp elbow into the boy's side.

" _You're supposed to be on my side."_ She hissed earning a slight giggle from Ruby.

"So what do you think of Newport?" Tai asked from his confined corner of the couch, daring not to disturb his wife's all important school work. "Your first time here, right?"

Jaune nodded politely. "Yessir, It's a nice town. Poppaz was amazing."

Raven closed her book with a resounding _crack._ When Raven shut her book, it was business time. "Yang, I can't believe you took him there….". She shook her head in mock disappointment. "What did you get?"

"A Reuben." He answered.

"Not bad… just need hot sauce." The black haired woman shrugged making everyone cringe at the thought. "You guys are so boring." The woman sighed. The mood quickly shifted as her crimson eyes met with Summer who gave a very subtle nod. "Yang, why don't you take Ruby upstairs? I have to talk to Jaune."

The girl poked at her mother. Why would she need to do that? Unless he was in trouble for something…? But her train of thought derailed as she felt a hand clamp down on her arm. "Let's go, Rubes. We can play Mortal Kombat." The blonde practically dragged her up the stairs, sensing that a serious conversation needed to be had.

A few moments went by as they waited for a door to click close. Summer straightened up as Raven waved him over, she stood up, giving her spot to Jaune as she sat on the arm of the day bed beside him.

"So…" Summer started. _Oh God, this is going to really happen now. And today was actually nice…_ "I don't know if you remember me or not…" she tested the waters.

Jaune gulped. "Yes, ma'am… I do…"

"Please, just Summer." She gave a smile that helped him at ease "you're on a first-name basis with everyone else." Something which he could only nod to.

The short woman bit her lip as the adults kept their heads down if they knew something and were afraid to speak up. "Ma'am….". He paused. "Summer, if you need me to go. I will, but I am not going back there. I can't. I'd rather die." He looked up to Raven seeing her stare intently at the floor, her arms crossed deep in thought. His gaze shifted over to Tai who was rubbing his chin, a deep frown on his face.

"But I don't want these two to get into trouble. They've been so incredibly generous taking me in when I asked… please don't arres-"

Summer's eye immediately went wide as she waved her hands "Nonono!" Her voice high with alarm. "If you're happy here, I'm not going to do anything about it!"

At that Jaune sunk into the couch as he let out a sigh of relief. "I don't have a problem with it." Summer continued with a small smile which started to fade "Some people might, and they might to start to think some things."

Jaune nodded "I know, I need to be smart about these kinds of things." He looked back to see her confused as well as everyone else. "It isn't the first time I had to hide something." He noted casually. He could feel the mood in the room instantly shift. It went somber to dark. However, something hung in the air. Something everyone knew but him. "What's wrong?" He asked.

A moment passed.

Moments.

Moments turned minutes.

Very long, excruciating minutes.

He looked up to Raven who was staring intently at the ground. He quickly shifted his gaze to Tai who was rubbing his chin, his blue eyes meeting Jaune before quickly drawn away. Qrow was nervously rubbing his hands clearing his throat. Summer had the look of pure guilt. "Jaune…"

His heart started to pound as time seemed to slow down. He felt something rest on his shoulder. "You're…" He felt his throat constrict. "...father."

His heart pounded. _He's back. He's back. He's going to find me._ He could feel the room instantly heat up as his hands started to get clammy… "No…" He whispered.

Summer could only nod, "He's out…" the hand squeezed harder. His heart started to pound even harder as he started to breathe faster.

Things started to shift around; things were getting dizzy as if he were on a merry go round.

Raven watched as his eyes seemed to glossed over, not able to focus on anything

"Jaune look at me." He felt a squeeze on his shoulder. He just couldn't concentrate. Things were spinning out of control.

"Jaune. Look at me." She shook him as his eyes finally locked on. At that, his breathing slowed down.

"You'll be alright. You're safe here."

 _You're safe._ It echoed in his mind. Safety? What did that mean? What could it mean? "You have nothing to be afraid of." Her red eyes bore into him. He wanted to desperately wanted to believe her.

"Trust us, Jaune." Jaune turned his head to see Tai looking right back. His carefreeness gone. "We won't let anything happen. We won't let anything happen to you."

 _Mom._ As much as he hated her right now, he wanted her safe. "My mom…" he whispered.

"Don't worry, she's already on my route; I'll be keeping in touch with her privately. If I'm not on call, one of my friends will be. Your secret is safe."

His lips began to quiver as he bit down. His throat feeling like a huge ball lodged in his throat. "T-thank you… all of you…"

He felt a slap on the back "no worries kiddo." Tai grinned cheekily. "Now go on…take your mind of this."

* * *

Yang was more than a little annoyed with her cousin, not only had the smaller girl refused to talk to Jaune except in a few specific circumstances, but she also seemed to go out of her way to ignore him. However, her annoyance isn't what mattered right now. What mattered was that she got some time to bond with her friend.

"So, Rubes, how've you been doing?" She asked as they started their third fight in Mortal Combat.

"I've been doing good, nothing too exciting has happened," the silver-eyed girl said in response.

"I don't believe that. It's been too long. Something interesting had to have happened." The blonde said with a light glare at her cousin.

"Not really, Yang. I promise, I'd tell you if something interesting happened."

"If you had a crush on a boy would you tell me?" Yang asked with interest.

"No, I don't think I would." Ruby responded with a sigh.

"So… who's the lucky boy?"

Ruby gave Yang a shocked look. "What!?"

Yang snickered slightly at Ruby's reaction. "Well, you've told me that nothing of note has happened, but it's been too long for _nothing_ to have happened. You also told me that you wouldn't tell me if you had a crush. So who are you crushing on?"

"No one Yang," Ruby said with a blush starting to form on her cheeks. "It's just that, life has been exceptionally boring recently, and there's nothing of note to tell you about."

Yang smiled softly, "and why couldn't you say that in front of Jaune? His manliness too overwhelming for you?"

Ruby rolled her eyes, a soft smile appearing on her lips. "I don't know him, I don't know what he thinks of me, and I … I don't know what to think of him."

"He's a cool dude Rubes," Yang said softly. "I don't know the full details, but I do know he's had it really rough. I know that's not enough to make you like him, but I'd like it if you could try someday."

Before Ruby could respond to her sister's plea, Jaune walked into the room and anything that Ruby might have been about to say stopped in her throat as she turned to look at him. "Umm," he started softly. "Your parents said to tell you that you have about thirty minutes before you leave."

Ruby bowed her head and mumbled a soft, "thanks," before turning back to the T.V. just in time to see her character get killed by Yang's character. "Cheater."

"Hey, you're the one who let yourself get distracted."

"My bad, didn't realize you were in the middle of a match," Jaune said apologetically.

The room fell into silence as the two cousins did several more matches against each other. No one really knew what to say. Yang had realized that if she forced a conversation to start, it'd just end with it ending early, but the other two seemed to be incapable of starting a conversation with each other. This point was further proved by the fact that after three matches, Jaune seemed to jolt a little bit before getting up and saying, "sorry, I guess I'm just more tired than I had thought. I'll go get some rest. Have a good one."

Ruby sighed as the door closed behind Jaune. "I'm sorry Yang, I'll try harder next time, I promise."

* * *

Jaune was tired. Exhausted beyond belief as he was sprawled at on "his bed." After Ruby leaving with her parents. He just wanted to shut the door and shut himself in. Thankfully, Raven and Tai understood that, but Yang…. Well, she was persistent, to say the least.

*knock knock*

Jaune set up slightly, reaching for the remote, turning the t.v. down slightly. "Come in." He muttered through a pillow. The familiar blonde counterpart entered, quirking her eyebrow.

"Tired there?" She teased as she walked which earned an exhausted mumble as he lifted himself up, propping himself up against the wall, making room for his unexpected visitor. "I can go if you want me to."

He shook his head. He didn't want to be rude, and to be honest, she never bothered him. "Nah, come on in." She plopped herself down on the bed, leaning up against the wall beside him.

"So, what's up?" She asked as she took out her phone, the first time he had ever seen her with it.

"Uhh…" He paused not sure where this is going? "Nothing?"

"You and Ruby…" She said, putting her phone down. "I sensed a lot of tension there." Oh god…. She did not sound happy in the least bit.

He could feel her gaze slam into him. "Yeah… uhh… how do I put this…" He could feel that stare turn into a glare as she cracked her knuckles.

"Put it like what?" She growled lowly.

"She's nice!" He raised his hands defensively. "But…. I don't think she likes me.." He said meekly.

Her glare immediately dissipated to a cheeky smile. "Yeah… No… I get that. She isn't a people person… She just needs to warm up to you."

"Yeah… I can relate…" He said almost defensively. "Being forced to socialize isn't my forte."

Yang's smile quickly dissipated into a frown as she scratched the back of her head. "Yeah… I'm sorry about that… I just wanted-"

He waved off her concern, "No, I get you wanted us to be friends, don't worry about it. I appreciate it." He flashed her a smile making her smile come back. She lifted a fist up, giving a slight punch to his shoulder.

The two blondes sat there enjoying the silence until turned to face him completely. "You doing alright?"

 _Am I doing alright? Am I doing alright…_ The irony. A question asked when someone knows that they are barely floating along. He nodded slowly. "Of course, why wouldn't I be…?" He laughed it off.

She didn't take the bait. No, she swam away by a mile. "Jaune… don't play me like an idiot…" She sounded almost hurt. "You were fine until you talked the adults. You've been off since then."

Jaune looked away, his hand starting to ache from the fresh scar. "No…" He whispered. "I've… I've never been alright, Yang. Not a single day in my life…"

"Jaune?" She grabbed his hand causing him wince in pain. "Look at me…"

 _No. Don't. Don't say anything. You can't. She can't know.._ He felt a tug on his hand as his eyes met lilac eyes. "Yang…" He was hoarse as a dying man. "... I'm scared shitless…"

She immediately got closer, grabbing his shoulders, shaking him slightly. "Jaune! Please! Talk to me!"

"My… Dad…" She stopped shaking at him, lilac eyes filled with an almost dread. "He's out of jail…." She immediately pulled him into a hug.

Honestly, she didn't know the particulars, and frankly, she didn't care. She didn't know who Jaune's dad was, but frankly, him coming out of jail and making him this shook up meant that something had happened. If she could have guessed, whatever happened, that's why he's here.

Jaune was a decent guy, a good friend. For a week, they had gotten to know each other. He quite, didn't talk about family, which makes sense now, but he was nice, polite. He didn't try to hit on her which was an instant plus in her book, but really, she was glad to be his friend. Right now, that's what he needed. "Hey. You don't have to tell me if you want too…" God, he was trembling something fierce. He was really shaken up by this…

A few minutes passed as he inhaled deeply. He broke away, looking everywhere but at her. "I… uh…"

"Listen, I won't tell a soul, and I won't think any less of you." She lifted her fist up. "I double Yang promise."

Jaune looked at the fist then her. She had a warm smile. He found himself lifting his own fist, connecting the two. "Well… uhh.. I guess I should start from the beginning."

* * *

 _I just want to say something. Telling the truth, unburdening yourself is hard. It is incredibly difficult, but it isn't just difficult for yourself, it is also difficult for the recipient, the listener._

 _That moment, when she asked. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I just prayed she wouldn't think I was some kind of nut case. I hoped she would understand. How could she, though? She actually grew up in a regular home? How the hell could anyone understand that unless they experienced it for themselves?_

 _The answer is, they don't understand. They never can. They might be able to sympathize, but understand? No. I was damaged. Extremely damaged and I didn't want some person I just met to see it._

 _To think how a pretty decent day gets flopped upside down huh? Well, that's life's agency. Life just loves to point at the fact that we aren't in control as we would like to think._

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **To the punk of a guest: Listen, you can bash me all you want. Frankly. I don't care, I'll take it in stride. But don't insult someone who is willing to invest time in a story that isn't their own.. They investing that is something that is of their own. Shaded has dedicated a great amount of time and effort into this story which means a great deal to me. That is something means a great deal to me, his dedication to the story is something incredibly admirable and he's now investing more time into it when he has his own projects. People make mistakes, that's only natural, we aren't perfect, but don't harass someone who is taking time out of their own schedule to help someone else. That is a rare trait indeed, and very few are actually willing to do that these days. As for the others. People come and go. I accept that. They didn't like the story or there was a falling out. Not my place to say, and frankly that doesn't matter. They're gone now, what matters is who is here now, actively helping. Well you got your wisht bud for the time being, enjoy.**

 **Shaded: Yeah, I'm here, and yeah, I have my own projects. True, I make mistakes. I am currently at war with commas. It's an interesting war to be losing by the way. No, I'm not used to being an editor, despite the fact that I've been editing Sauron's works for a while now, I still go back and find things I missed. Whether because I mentally correct it and don't actually change it, or just at the time I didn't realize that it needed to be changed is beside the point. I'm not perfect, never will be, will I one day be good at writing. I hope so. I darn well hope so, especially because I'm trying to become an author and spending a copious amount of time trying to write a book despite all of the other things going on in my life, and yes, I help Sauron, and others, anyway. Why? Because they're my friends, and they're worth the effort. If you don't like the story, or if you have some personal beef with Sauron or myself. You can stop being a petty little punk. Let us know what you feel is wrong, or how you feel we can improve. There is nothing constructive or meaningful between coming in and leaving a comment that says "you suck, your story sucks, get a day job." All we know from that is that you have an opinion, and that we no longer care about your opinion. (yes I'm being confrontational, which is a stupid thing to do.)**

 **Okay, now that's sorted with I guess, just like my A/N said, I need to take a break. I promised to get this chapter out, but idk how long till the next one. I just so incredibly out of it right now and I'm not happy.**

 **Enough sappy shit. Let's get into it. Yep, things just got real at the ending huh? Lol, things were going alright, then bombshell. Shit happens I suppose. Oh well. I really love the idea of agency (totally not a hint at anything xD) but it's going to be a major theme throughout the story.**

 **Reviews**

 **Yukas: Honestly, I appreciate your faith in me. It does mean a lot. Why would be worried for Summer? Nothing bad has ever happened in this story…. Ever…. To anyone xD. Damn dude! I'm so sorry! I'll put up a warning next time xD. Ships…. Ships…. Usual policy ;)**

 **Cpt. Lynx: As for the GoT scene, I don't blame, but I can say from reading the book before the actual scene, I knew it was going to happen, but watching…. That's a whole new way of looking at the scene. I may have had watery eyes xD. I won't lie, I'm enjoying Yang, and I've been so excited to get to her since I thought this story up, but I will let you know that she is a major character xD. Hopefully you liked Ruby.**

 **MorgothII: Thank you lol, I'm glad you liked the chapter, hopefully you liked this one.**

 **Xerzo: Yeah, I was actually excited to get to the moment that Jaune realized who the officer was (as bad as that is). As for Raven's back story, that will be instrumental later, and we'll get see some more STRQ, but hopefully you'll enjoy it xD.**

 **DragonMan: Hello my friend! I appreciate the feedback, it means a lot that you like the story. We try to get find all of the mistakes, but inevitably, some will be missed. Sorry!**

 **Batpool: Hello my friend! Thank you for the kind words. Hopefully, I don't disappoint. As for this story, I want to make it as realistic as possible. As I have stated from earlier A/Ns, I'm a firm believer that life has up and downs. Some of the hills are slow to climb and easy to descend while other short staccatos. I will be doing my best to portray this. Thanks for the review! Always appreciated.**


	17. Chapter 17: A Matter of Perspective

**Ch 17: A Matter of Perspective**

 _Am I worthy? Am I worth all of this attention? All of this care, dare I say compassion and love?_

 _Am I worthy? A question that has haunted me throughout my life. A question that I still ask myself to this day. Are we ever truly worthy of anything? Heh. People always tell me I was dealt a shit hand. That I deserve more. I deserve to be happy._

 _What a joke. We don't deserve anything. To assume that we deserve anything is to assume that we have a right to something, to anything. We don't; life determines what we deserve. IT, not US, decides what we get., what we deserve._

* * *

 _Just why? Why did he have to go through all of this? Any of this?_ Yang thought to herself as she listened. It really put things into perspective for her. By Jaune's standards, this must be heaven. But Jaune kept the pain, the sheer… sadness, secret, why though? He could have ended it any time. All he had to do tell a teacher, any teacher. "So why didn't you tell anyone? You could have stopped all of this…." She asked gently, trying sort all of this out.

He let out a self-deprecating laugh. "You know…. Now that I think about this…. It seems a little fucked up…" He snorted with an almost defeated smile. "When I was a little kid and when my family still lived together, my sisters would always say 'Jaune, you can't tell anyone about any of this. If you do, you'll be the reason the family breaks apart. Do you want that?'" He shook his head with a small smile, his shaggy blonde hair hiding his tears that ran down his cheeks. "I couldn't do it…. I just couldn't do it… I couldn't be the reason to breakup the family, my siblings. I kept my mouth shut and grinded through all of it… I needed to be normal to avoid suspicion. I've been an entire lie all my life. I never could be myself, I never got to be myself… I hated all of it and holding it in for years… I'm… I'm..." He lifted his head up his tearful blue eyes locking onto Yang. She could see the tears. "I'm so incredibly fucked up. You're probably thinking that right now… I don't blame you, I know I am."

That… That… That felt like a stab to the heart. _No…._ How could Yang think that? The things he went through were beyond fucked up. She immediately grabbed Jaune pulling him into a hug. Who would have guessed, a boy she just met a week ago, one guy, one friend, who seemed relatively together, was now breaking down. "No… Jaune… You aren't fucked up. I don't think that…" She reassured him. "I never could." Normally, she would have been weirded by the fact that some stranger was hugging her and crying, yet this was something different. "You're hurting…" She said as he broke away, clutching his hand's scar which now made sense. "Listen." She grabbed his hand. "You're my friend. Even though we met like a week ago, you are a really good friend, and I'll be here for you. Don't ever think I won't be. That's what friends do, right?"

"I… I…"

She interrupted him. "I'm not very religious, I'll be upfront about that." She squeezed his hand gently as she ran her thumb along his scar on his hand. "I don't know what it is… but I can say for a fact that I'm glad you were in my mom's class. I'm glad you opened up to her, I'm glad you called her. As shitty as these things are, if they didn't happen, then I wouldn't have gotten to meet you. Things happen for a reason, and all I can say is that I'm glad we're friends." She meant that too. Sure, she was popular at school. Everyone wanted to be friends with her, that can be said easily if you're the star athlete on the soccer team. Still, Yang had a close knit of friends, Blake, Ruby, and Pyrrha, and it looks like another one in that list, Jaune. She would do anything for her little cadre of friends.

"Thank you, Yang." She knew he meant it, that was a truly sincere smile, something not forced, not like earlier. She let go of his hand as he pulled back. She knew there was more than just that but decided not to push it out. "I'm glad we're friends too." He whispered as he wiped the tear streak away.

"How you feeling?""

He stretched feeling all of his joints crack and pop as he let out a yawn. "Better…" he smiled. "Thanks."

Yang nodded as she scooched off his bed. "Anytime." She walked towards the before stopping and turning around. "Hey." The boy looked up. "If you ever need anything." She gestured to the room right across the hallway. "I'm right next door. Literally."

Jaune's gaze met her own with a grateful smile. "Yeah, yeah. Go to bed."

"Night Jaune."

"Goodnight Yang." He said as she closed the door behind him. He pulled back the covers and got into bed. He reached over on the lamp that was still on and turned the light off.

Yang walked to the bathroom, filling up a Dixie cup before downing it quickly. She it up again before downing it again. _Damn. She thought to herself as she splashed some water onto her face._

"Everything alright?" She whirled around to see her mother leaning in on the doorway looking down with a worried expression.

The blonde immediately turned to the mirror, looking herself over, lilac eyes meeting lilac eyes. She forced a smile. "Yeah… um…"

However, Raven was not to be fooled. " _Yang."_

She held on the sink, looking down. "Mom…. I just don't understand how people are so messed. Who could try and... She shook her head, " _kill…_ their own child. How do people get so fucked up…?" She looked up to her mother with a look of a wounded animal. " _Why?"_

Raven immediately entered the bathroom, draping an arm around her daughter's shoulder. "I don't know," she said as she rubbed her shoulder, "I really don't. Some people are bad, others turn bad. Other people become bitter at the world and take it on others, others let emotions guide them." She rubbed her daughter's shoulder. "It's hard to say."

So which was it for her mom? Yang looked up seeing worried red eyes. "Which was it for you? I mean with your parents…?"

The woman looked down at her expectantly saddened daughter as if she didn't expect the question, "To be honest, all of it." She exhaled, closing her eyes to the feeling of her daughter's embrace. _God, she's strong._ Yang thought to herself as she embraced back.

"Thanks, Mom… For not being fucked up."

"Normally, I'd chew you out for swearing, but I'll let it slide." I would never touch a single hair on my dragon's head." She reassured her daughter as she ran her hand through her golden hair.

Yang looked up with a smirk. "Except for that time you tried to get my hair cut."

Raven chuckled "Yeah… I learned my lesson. Like mother like daughter apparently." Which earned a cheeky grin from the blonde as she broke away.

"Don't you know it." Yang shot back playfully, but her smile quickly faded into a more serious look. "Thanks for helping him, Mom."

Raven nodded, raising an eyebrow. "I assume he told you." Her daughter nodded. Now, Raven wasn't idiot. She knew Yang wasn't one to fake being nice. Her daughter definitely had her temper and stubbornness, if she didn't like you, you'd know. That being said, she doesn't fake friendships either. Raven knew that the two of them had grown close, that's only natural when you're living with someone. This was a huge leap of faith on Jaune's part though. "Yang, you know how difficult that was probably was for him." The blonde nodded. "Then don't let that change how you treat him. He took a huge leap of faith with that one. Don't take advantage of that."

"I never will. I promise."

Her mother smiled. She raised Yang right, this was just one of the plethora of reasons why she truly proud of her daughter. "Well, Im going to check on your father. Have a goodnight, Yang."

"Night mom, love you."

Yang made her necessary preparations for bed. She came out, eyes lingering towards Jaune's door. From what she could tell, the lights were out. She turned to open her own door, making her way to her wardrobe. She quickly changed over into her night clothes, consisting of an orange tank top and short black shorts.

She pulled back her covers and climbed into bed, turning the light off. She laid down, adjusting her pillows while pulling up the blanket. She looked up at the dark ceiling. The one thing she knew was that one piece of the puzzle of Jaune was figured out, but new questions formed in her mind. Questions that could wait, that would be answered in due time.

* * *

Raven walked down the stairs. Reaching the bottom, she peered through the window of the front door looking out. The street was empty, with the occasional car passing by. She flicked the switch, turning the porch light on. Crimson eyes continued to scan before she locked the door's deadbolt.

"You sure about this?" She asked quietly as she went to the kitchen pulling out two cans of Pepsi. She cracked open each one with a loud pop, giving one to her husband who sat on the day bed just by the window as he looked out the window partly, while occasionally glancing over at the t.v.

She sat down beside him, nudging up into him as he wrapped his arm around her. "Yeah. We made a promise, didn't we? Even though the likelihood of him being found here is low, I know you would feel better about this."

She smiled at his willingness to be so compassionate towards a stranger as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Thanks." She said as she sipped her drink.

"Mhmm…" He hummed happily enjoying the fact that wife was practically curled up into a ball. He wouldn't lie, Raven could be extremely terrifying when pissed, let alone her height and stature sent all the messages of don't mess with her, but deep down, she was a softy deep down, like right now. She looked up at him with stunning red eyes, "Wake me up around Two?"

He nodded as he continued to watch the window and t.v. "Yep, now get some sleep."

* * *

Jaune shot up, drenched in sweat as he peered through the curtain. Pitch black, he couldn't make anything out. _Just a dream. Just a dream._ "He's not here." He reassured himself.

He sucked in s breath trying to settle his heart. "No…". He whispered to himself. "I'm fine. Nothing to worry about."

Yet the dream. No, he had to check. He peeled his covers off and stood up. He moved to the door opening it as quietly as possible. The hall was dark except for the night light in the hallway. He looked across the hallway, no light from Yang's room

He swerved his head to the door down the end of the hallway, _yep everything is alright._ He could go back to bed, but in reality, he didn't want to. He decided it would it be better if he got some sleep at least. He closed the door behind him and follow a light still on downstairs.

 _Just a dream. Just a dream. Just a dream._ He reassured himself. Step by strip, until his feet reached the hardwood surface. He peeked into the living room. Tai was watching t.v. while glancing out the window.

Opposite of the day bed and table was the other couch where Raven was apparently asleep with a blanket draped over her. He moved in slowly. "Uhh… morning Tai." He whispered a little loudly.

Apparently, the other blonde wasn't expecting anyone to be up this late as he practically jumped up in the air. A panicked Tai looked over to see a tired Jaune. Once he realized who it was, he instantly went back to ease. "Morning Jaune." He raised an eyebrow however. "What are you doing up this early?"

Deciding it was better not to lie, he admitted the truth. "Nightmare." At that, he seemed to sit up straighter as he gestured for him to sit in the recliner in the room.

"Well come on in, make yourself comfortable." He whispered to which Jaune nodded in appreciation though why were the two up so late? It was at least three in the morning. "You need anything?" Well, Jaune was parched but decided against asking for water, he simply shook his head.

That didn't stop Taiyang though, he got up went to the kitchen. A few moments later, he came back with a large glass of water. "Here you go." He handed him the glass which Jaune took and thanked him. He took a sip as Tai got back on the day bed, kicking his feet up, still occasionally glancing out the window.

"From earlier today, I bet." Tai said in a hushed tone. Jaune cocked his head questioningly. "Your nightmare. It was about him, I bet." Jaune blinked, rather shocked that he nailed it, though not the full scope. "Don't worry, bud, you don't have to tell if you don't want to."

He could tell him and he would he was absolutely mental. Then again, his entire family took him in. "I… uh… uhh…" he took a breath. "I saw all of you guys…". Taiyang gave him a sympathetic look. "He… found us. Me. All of you." He rubbed his scarred hand, unable to meet his gaze.

"Jaune… you don't have to finish-"

"He made me watch. One. By. One." He closed his eyes, shaking his head. "He made me watch…"

Tai brought his hand to his month hiding his deep frown. He watched him intently, seeing him shudder occasionally. _Poor guy._ Tai shook his head as he glanced over to his wife. For a moment he thought she was still asleep. How foolish of him to think so. She was a notorious light sleeper which was only confirmed by one red eye looking back him with a frown. "I don't want to cause that…"

"Jaune. It'll be fine." Tai stood up moving over to the blonde. He stooped down, close enough to allow the older blonde to whisper "I promise you, he won't find you. He won't know about you. Your mom won't say a thing either. It was just a bad dream. We're all fine."

Jaune peeked out of his arm. "How…? How do you know that….? You can't possibly. I don't want all of you to die because of me."

 _He's legitimately freaked out._ Tai thought to himself. "Listen. You're safe here. I promised you that nothing would happen. I mean it."

Jaune couldn't believe him. None of it made sense. Why? He had no right to put these people in risk. He was incredibly selfish putting them at risk. He was got caught up in routine. He had gotten lazy. He allowed himself to enjoy something that he had no right to enjoy. "Why? Why do you even care about me? I'm just a stranger. I'm-"

Tai knew the answer right off the bat. "Family." He finished the teenager's thought. The boy looked up, wiping away the tears. _How could they consider me family?_ _They have only known me for a week_

"That's right." Both males looked to the voice that spoken up. There was Raven propped up against the arm of the couch. "Whether you like it or not, you're family. We look after our own." Jaune stared at the woman who was apparently sleeping. He just couldn't understand how or why they accepted with absolutely no strings attached. It didn't make sense. There had to be something attached to all of this. Then again…. One thing the Xiao-Long-Branwen household was known for, he discovered, was their inability to keep secrets from one another. "And no, you don't have to thank us, because we know you'd do the same for one of us."

That struck him. He hadn't given it much thought. Put if any of them were in similar thought, or hell just needed help with anything, he'd drop whatever he was doing. Raven for her kindness, Tai for his acceptance, and Yang for her friendship. Maybe she was right. Maybe he was with family. "It's going to be rough getting through this, but we can do it." 'We' echoed in his mind. He couldn't get through it by himself. But with them, they both could.

"Now since we're already up, we might as well find something good on…" Tai suggested as he eyed up the t.v.

Strangely enough, there was nothing good on tv as three scoured the channels. They happen to find the cult classic known as Gladiator. Jaune loved for the time frame, Raven for the plot (even though it wasn't in the least bit historical.), and Tai for the action. However, thirty minutes into the movie, Jaune drifted off to sleep, or so they thought.

Raven looked over to her husband on the opposite of the room. "I didn't expect you to go that far." She mused.

Tai chuckled quietly. "Well, hey he grew on me."

A moment of silence passed by as the swords of the movie clashed. "Thank you Tai." a genuine smile grew. "For everything."

Tai waved his hand off. "Like you said, we look after our own." Neither adults noticed that the boy, who had a blanket draped over him, was smiling. He felt a sense of ease take over him as he actually started to drift to sleep.

* * *

Yang wasn't one for getting up at the crack of dawn, but the dang sun decided otherwise as rays of sunshine demanded her attention. She rolled over, pulling the covers over her head, trying to shield her eyes. Yet, when she was up, she was up, there is no going back to sleep Yang Xiao-Long.

She grunted as she sat up looking over at the clock. 6:30 in the freaking A.M. She stood up, not bothering to change out of her sleeping clothes, she wasn't going to be productive this early in the morning. She walked down the stairs, already smelling breakfast. If one thing was always guaranteed, one of her parents, if not both would be up at this ungodly hour.

She reached the bottom of the stair, eyes catching what appeared to be a sleeping Jaune on the recliner. Odd… why would he be sleeping down here? It didn't matter, she continued on her way to the kitchen on a mission to acquire her daily orange juice. As was typical, her father was up cooking breakfast while her mother sat at the table reading. "Hell has frozen over it would seem." The black-haired woman noted from her book.

"Honey, don't be mean…." Her husband lightly chastised. "...even though it's true." He followed up. Yang mumbled under her breath as she grabbed a glass and filled it to the brim with orange juice. She sat down at the table while drinking the juice. It was a struggle to get up for the teenager. A few moments later, Taiyang produced two plates with bagels on them.

"... thanks…" the blonde grunted as she slowly took a bite.

"It sucks, I'm on call…" Tai said as he sat down, sipping away at a mug of coffee. "They know I hate working on weekends."

"Gives you something to do besides you complaining about how bored you are." Raven countered from behind her counter, earning a snicker from her daughter.

"Must be nice to have all summer off." Tai countered as if he were a jealous child.

"Honey." Raven looked up with a smirk. "By all means, if you want to write a two hundred page thesis on the geopolitical tension the Confederacy and the major European superpowers, be my guest."

"UGHHH!" Yang whined "Too much! Too early!"

"Yang's right, don't be throwing around big words."

Raven stood up, leaning in and kissing Tai on the cheek. "That's why I love you."

He kissed her right back. "I know my devilish looks couldn't be ignored."

Raven chuckled, flicking him on the forehead "You're such a ninny, but my ninny."

Yang rolled her eyes. "Get a room, you two." She stood up, taking her plate to the sink and running it under some water before leaving it in the sink. She headed out into the living room as her parents kept chit chatting about various things, mostly her father's poor work ethic on weekends and her mother just snickering.

She looked over to Jaune who was still asleep, his legs kicked up, and blanket draped over him. Deciding it would be rude of her to wake him up, she glided by silently as she flopped on the day bed, remote in hand.

It was going to be a good day. A day of just kicking back, watching t.v., junk food, and laziness is what Dr. Yang Xiao-Long ordered. As she flipped through the various channels, much to her horror, there was nothing on t.v. at this hour… boring documentaries and paid programming. With a small pout, she put on the animal planet.

About an hour or so, her father was dressed in his collar shirt and tie. "I'll see ya when I get home." He said as he opened the door. Yang looked upside down to wave him off.

"Have a good day, love you!" Yang said as her father let out an exasperated sigh, his shoulder slouched as he muttered 'yeah,' as he closed the door behind him. About another thirty minutes passed by before her mom came in, taking up the other couch, a book in her hand. "How can you read with a t.v. In the background?"

Her mother gave a smug smirk. "If I can read with your father's snoring, I can read anywhere."

"Alright, Valid point." She said as she went back to watching the t.v. before realizing she needed to ask her mom a question.

"Hey mom?"

"Mhmm?" She hummed from her book.

"So Pyrrha is having a bonfire in a couple of days…."

"Alright…" she replied mechanically, almost as if not paying attention.

"Would you mind if Jaune and me go?" Raven looked up from her book, rather surprised.

"The two know each other?"

"Yep. Apparently, they used to go to Sunday School."

Raven tapped her chin thoughtfully in thought. After a few moments of thinking, she shrugged. "Well… it's not up to me." She nodded towards the still sleeping Jaune. "It's up to him… speaking of which…" She looked thoughtfully. "I haven't seen Pyrrha in a while… How's she doing?"

"She's doing good, apparently old man Watts is driving the band with a whip."

Raven shook her head "A shame. She needs to come by more often."

Yang couldn't help but to agree. "Yeah, it's been awhile.." Just then the bundled up figure started to stir under the blankets. Yanged looked over as to see Jaune pull his blanket back slightly.

Yang looked over to see two closed eyes under a mess of blonde hair, slowly opened up. Two tired eyes stared at Yang, slowly blinking, his face having a small, dazed and confused smile making Yang smile. "Rise and shine sleepy!"

The boy started to blink rapidly as he started to wake up. "Hey." He said as he started to stretch his arms, popping his arms.

"So he finally rises." Her mom chuckled lightly drawing his attention away from her and to her obsidian haired mother.

"G'morning Raven." He greeted lightly as he stretched his legs. He pulled himself up "I'm sorry...I should have been up earlier."

"And disturb the sleeping baby?" Yang teased with a cheeky grin. "No thank you."

Jaune pouted. "I'm not a baby..." Earning the snickering of both women. Jaune sighed as he started to watch tv with Yang as Raven continued to read her book. The three enjoyed a comfortable silence as Yang flipped through the channels settling on some cheap sci-fi movie about sharks and tornadoes.

* * *

"That… That…." Raven face palmed. "...was just horrible."

Jaune nodded in agreement. "They had to have like a hundred dollar budget." Well to be honest, probably like ten dollars. It was kind of really bad, however, Yang didn't agree.

"Are you kidding?! That was a classic!" Yang threw hands up in the air. "That was so terrible that it was a piece of art!"

Raven just face palmed again. "No… bad doesn't make something good, it's just bad." Jaune shot back.

"That's my point!" Yang exclaimed. "It's too bad which makes it good." Jaune only shook his head. The logic…. The logic was too bad. ***RING RING*** Raven tossed her book on the table and when to get the phone. "Don't you wanna see Sharknado Two?"

"Hey Summer…" Raven said from the kitchen, catching Jaune's ear. "Yeah… yeah…"

Someone snapped their fingers drawing Jaune's attention. "Jaune?"

"Hi!"

"Sharknado Two?"

The blonde boy frantically shook his head. "No! No! No! No! One was already bad enough!"

Jaune watched from the corner of his eye as Yang's mom passed back and forth."Yeah, I can do that." She stopped in the middle of the kitchen before turning to looking into the living room. Crimson eyes met sapphire, there was no smile to clue him into a friendly conversation. She hesitated, a frown on her face, before she smiled. "Yeah. I'll let him know."

She hung up the phone before walking back in. Instead of her more relaxed posture, she seemed tense. "Everything alright, mom?" Yang voiced both of their concerns. The woman sat down, rubbing her slender fingers together, staring at her hands.

Jaune sat up closer. "Yang… could you please… leave… I need to talk to Jaune alone."

Yang started to get up with a frown when Jaune held up a hand. "Yang you can stay if you wanna. You already know most of it." Yang immediately sat back down with a look of resolve, causing Raven to smile.

"Now then Jaune, that was Summer." He nodded. "Your mom and dad met up." Immediately, Jaune brought his hand up to his mouth, covering deep-seated frown. Though, his eyes had a certain hatred burn in them. "Now before you say anything." Raven interjected, "He was just there to get his truck. They didn't say anything."

"How do you know." He asked behind his hand.

"Summer was over there on patrol."

He looked away only to see Yang leaning slightly forward keeping her lifted up her hand. She looked rather concerned. "Did anything happen? ". He didn't know why he was getting concerned.

"No, she's fine. A little shaken, but fine." A sympathetic Raven answered.

Jaune couldn't understand why he felt concern. Concern for the most neglectful people in his life. In fact, he shouldn't be giving her a second thought. She's his mother, of course, he cared. He couldn't look at either of them. "I want to call her."

Raven froze, blinking rapidly, unsure of what she had just heard. Her red eyes wandered over to her daughter who looked just as stunned. Her red eyes flickered over Jaune. "Who?" She asked hesitantly.

Without looking at either of them, he said in a resolute if not resolved voice "I want to call my Mom."

Raven sat on the couch rather dumbfounded as Yang fidgeted uncomfortably. _Well shit._

* * *

Yang sat beside Jaune, carefully eyeing him up. Her mom insisted that they eat something beforehand. It was a relatively quiet lunch. Little words were exchanged as they silently ate.

Now Jaune was sitting at the table with his phone in his hands. Raven sat at the head of the table, resting her elbows on the table, her hand covering the frown she had. Yang could see the conflict within Jaune as he stared at his phone.

"You don't have to do this…" Raven said through her hand. "She's already in good hands."

Jaune nodded slowly, drumming his fingers on the table deep in thought. Yang placed on hand on his shoulder. "Whatever you decide, we have your back." He gave her a hesitant smile as she removed her hand. He picked up the phone hesitantly as he dialed the numbers.

He tapped the phone as the dial became even louder. Mother and daughter looked at one another, shocked by the fact that he put it on speaker. ***RIIIING* *RIIIING* * RIIIIING***

The phone picked up. " _Hello?"_ An older woman's voice came through the phone. At that moment Jaunes hands turned into a fist.

"..." He didn't say anything. What the hell could he do? How could he? This was stupid. Beyond stupid. He felt something jab in the side making him forget about the call. Yang leaned and whispered. "We got this."

 _We. Not you, not I, both of us, the three of them._

" _Hello?"_ The womanly voice out again a little bit questioningly. He inhaled sharply trying to center himself.

"Hey… Mom…" he managed.

"Jaune!" His mother practically rejoiced. "I missed you so much!l.

"Yeah…" He said in a hushed voice. "I uhh… just wanted to check in… you know, with you." Yang took note how he didn't say he missed her or that he loved her.

" _I'm doing well, I miss you though. How are you? Are they treating you well?"_

 _Better than what you ever could do_. He wanted to hell. Yet, he found himself censoring himself. "Yeah Mom, they're nice people." He couldn't help but to smile.

" _Well I'm glad…"_ his mother said with a hint of fondness.

Jaune cut her off. "How are you doing?"

" _I'm doing well. I've joined a program, and I've been clean for a week. I know that isn't much to go on, but it's a start."_

A week? A week?! A week wasn't shit. A week didn't mean a damn. Why the hell should he be impressed? _She's in a program._ That was a first, but how long could it last? "That's… Good, Mom."

There was a moment of silence, a pause in the air. Yang could feel that he wanted to ask it. She couldn't imagine how anyone can imagine it. "Mom… he stopped by, didn't he?"

There was a long pause as the room and fell silent. Yang looked at her mom who stared right back. There was a mixture of anger sadness in her eyes that Yang had never seen before.

…

…

" _Yes… yes, he did."_ A sympathetic voice replied " _Jaune I want you to understand something. No matter what, he's your father, and he will always love-"_

Out of nowhere, Jaune slammed his fist on the making Yang jump. "Oh don't you start with that horseshit! If he loved me, he wouldn't have come home drunk on my birthday. If he loved me, he wouldn't have _choked me._ If he loved you, he wouldn't have pulled the fucking trigger." He couldn't look at either of them. He couldn't stand the thought of them being off put. Yet there is one more thing he had to say. "If you loved me, you would have pressed charges."

He shot up, eyes forward started to walk off until something stopped him. He looked down at his hand to Yang clasped onto his wrist. "Come on let's get some fresh air." She suggested.

He really didn't have a choice as the blonde girl dragged him away. " _Jaune?"_ She practically pleaded.

Raven let out a sigh, letting her hand slide from over her mouth. "Mrs. Arc, it's Raven."

A moment had passed before the voice spoke. " _Raven? Did he go?"_

She watched as the two left the front door. "Yeah."

" _It's so hard. Not being with the family you love. I know I deserve it… but still…How's been holding up?"_

Raven leaned back in her chair thinking to herself. For the most part, he has been doing alright. Well besides, today… "He's holding up. There are times where it's been hard." She decided she didn't need to know about the nightmare.

" _Again I don't know how to thank you…"._ Raven felt her brow twitch as she cut her off. " _The kindness you have shown…"_

The obsidian haired woman gritted her teeth. The hypocrisy. His mother, not herself should be looking after. Instead, it was her taking care of a stranger's child. Now… now… she was taking care of him and she honestly had zero regrets. Oddly enough, she didn't know it happened or how it happened, but he was apart of the family. "It's fine." She couldn't help to smile. "I'm glad to help."

" _Anyway, I should get going. Your friend, Officer Rose, tell her, thank you."_

"Of course. Take care." She picked up the phone, hitting the end call button. She placed back down on the table as she drummed her fingers on the table. She tossed her head back looking up at the ceiling. "What a couple of days…"

* * *

The two blondes were outside enjoying the sunshine. They sat underneath the tall oak tree up on the embankment. Yang sat on large overhang branch while Jaune sat on the ground picking the grass.

Yang was worried, beyond worried. She saw Jaune happy. Happy Jaune was fun and cool. Sad Jaune was… well really depressing, but she definitely understood where it came from. But angry Jaune…. angry Jaune was scary. "You wanna talk about it…?"

He continued to pick at the grass as she watched him. Silence reigned between the two of them for the past an hour. He didn't look up at her, he simply lifted his head staring at the river. She was about to give up when he let out a sigh. "Yang… you got it lucky…. You have friends and family that love you… That would do anything for you…."

Yang looked down from her little perch. She didn't know where he was going with this, but she didn't like it. The distance in him, she didn't know if he was talking to her or merely himself. "I just don't…. my own father wanted to kill us and yet my mom doesn't want to press charges…. she doesn't even love me enough to protect me."

With that, Yang dropped down from the branch. She plotted herself down beside him. "I don't know Jaune." She picked at the grass. "Bad things happen to good people. We can't control it,". She continued to pick at the grass. "but I do know that you're here with me, now. I'll be there with, ya, thick and thin. No matter what, you aren't alone." She then lifted her arm up till her balled fist was above his face. He seemed like he didn't mind as grass clippings were dumped on top of his blonde hair.

He looked at her. There was no hint of shyness or confidence. Just a compassionate took his own clippings and dropped them on the fiery mane of Yang as her eyes went wide with shock and horror. "If it were anyone else, they'd be dead. You're lucky Arc."

He couldn't help but to give subtle snort, the irony in that statement.

* * *

 _I found out what they were doing that night. I found out that they were taking shifts, making sure no one was snooping around, making sure my father wasn't around. That week. That week is what I wanted in a lifetime. It was literally bliss._

 _So when I was able to return the favor, you better believe I did, but that'll come later. For now, let us continue on. Summer was drawing to close, days and weeks melded together as the stability and joy I longed for all my life started to become a normal thing._

 _Then…. Before I knew it, the school year was approaching._

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hi guys! It's been awhile. Like I said, I really do appreciate the support and feedback that you all give me. Like legit, it means the world and help me get through some of the harder things. That being said, those who don't like the story, not going to point fingers, keeping leaving reviews, I don't care.**

 **That being said... let's get into it... It's been awhile... and I thought we need a new perspective tossed into the mix. If you haven't noticed, I focused extensively on Yang, let me know what you think.**

 **As for the nightmare... I thought about writing it, but then again, there is a difference between writing and reading and reading and imagining. That being said, I will leave up to the reader to think about the nightmare and how bad it could have been**

 **I think this chapter was really meant to emphasize the bond that Yang and Jaune share out of circumstance. Without the Summer incident, they probably would never have met, and the fact that Jaune basically lives with Yang, a bond would form and no... I'm not talking about shipping you sillies. That reminds me! No comments on shipping xD.**

 **I will apologize ahead of time for any mistakes in editing, we're only human and things will be missed.**

 **So tell me what you guys think! Did you like the chapter? Interactions, reactions, predictions, questions, thoughts on life? Any and all are welcomed! Love to hear from you guys! And next time... Band is coming and you know what that means! BAHAHAHAHA! No comments xD**

 **Thank you so much,**

 **-Lordxsauron**


	18. Chapter 18: Specters from Past Part 1

**Chapter 18: Specters from the Past 1**

 _There are two kinds of people when it comes to August. You have group A; believing that it's the start of the new year and new opportunities._

 _Then you have the majority who fall in group B. Group B tends to think that the Summer is slowly dying off. The waning breaths of freedom slowing down until September snuffs it out. A return to the normalcy and drudgery of the typical year. I bet you can guess which I fell into._

* * *

A month had passed. A rather enjoyable, if not short summer. Band marked the end of the peaceful respite that made Jaune comfortable. Band marked the supposed return to normalcy. A shift if you will, to the status quo that is known as school.

Jaune packed his bag, grabbing a pair of sticks that Raven loaned to him, being his second loan. _Mental Note, need to pay her back, no matter what her objections_. Yang was swirling around in around on "his" computer chair, her blue and red jersey covered with deep grass green and dirt brown stains from her soccer practice. Her hair seemed even wilder from the sweat if that was even possible. He tossed her a water bottle which she thanked him. "How was practice?" He asked as he continued to pack.

After taking several large gulps, she wiped her mouth. "Not too bad. Legs are jello though."

"Well if that's the case, you wouldn't have been able to climb the stairs…" He shot back earning an empty water bottle to the face causing him to rub his cheek.

"Mr. Literal." Yang rolled her eyes.

"Hey, you're the one who said that you were part jello."

He earned, this time, a paper ball to the face. "I'm right at your desk," Yang smirked. "I got all the ammo I need."

"What? You goin to spray and pray like you do in Halo?" Jaune snickered earning a horrified gasp from his friend.

"We don't talk about that game!" Yang crossed her arms definitely, "We had an agreement, you fiend!"

Jaune shrugged playfully as he zipped up his bag. "So you excited for band?" She asked while swirling around in his chair.

Whether Yang knew it or not, that was a definitely loaded question. Was he ready? On the one hand, yeah, Jaune wanted to get back in the swing of things, on the other hand, Weiss. He hadn't told Yang about the white haired girl that he may or may not have fallen for, and the sudden cut of ties because of her obsessive boyfriend. "Yeah…" He said as he flopped on his bed. "I guess…"

Yang stopped swirling around in his chair as she stared at him. "You don't sound too crazy about it…" She raised an eyebrow.

No, he couldn't get into this with her. He couldn't talk about it right before the first practice. He wanted to deal with it. He trusted Yang, but in the end, his problems were his problems. He already dumped some of his problems on her with him telling her about his family. That was enough. "Nah," He said staring up. "Just a bummer… Summer is going to end soonish."

"We still have a whole month!" Yang said cheerfully. "That's a long time."

He lifted his head up from his bed. "Just _one_ month." He emphasized _one._

 _ ***Knock***_ Both kids turned to look at the door to be greeted by Raven, who was in her usual attire of band shirt and jeans. "Look at what we have here…" She shook her disapprovingly, "Two regular bums."

The blonde girl pointed out her stains. "A bum who has a messy uniform from running around all day." which earned wave of the hand from his dismissive mother. "This is coming from the person who reads and writes all day."

Raven smirked pointing to her head. "Exercising the mind, honey."

"While eating chips and drinking soda all day?" Jaune shot back with a cheeky grin as he got up. Yang offered a hand which he returned with a loud _***thwack.***_

"One day." Raven defended herself. "I was sick for one day, and it hangs over me…" She threw her hands up in exasperation. Jaune knew it was all in fun. It was of the things he loved about this family. He never had these small back and forths, and the fact he could take part in these made him feel right at home. "Ready to go?" The woman looked over to Jaune who was still laying in bed.

He pulled himself up from the bed, grabbing his knapsack. He looked over to see Yang who was getting up though a little slowly, probably from aches. "Try not to have too much fun without me." She tapped his shoulder with a fist.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Shot a smile back.

Jaune followed Raven down the stairs "Tai; we're heading out, we'll be back in a bit."

"Alright! Have a good one!" Tai called back from the kitchen as clanging of plates could be heard as he continued to wash the dishes.

The two of them walked outside where, both getting in the black sedan. Jaune put his knapsack on the ground and reached for the seat belt. With a satisfying click, he breathed in deeply. _Just play it cool. Nothing is going to happen._

The ride down to the school was a relatively quiet ride. He thought that both of them could enjoy the relative quietness. Or so Jaune thought until his train of thought was interrupted. "So to avoid suspicion, you probably shouldn't say anything about our arrangement," His instructor said as she continued to keep her eyes on the road.

"Yeah, I know. I assume that's why we're leaving an hour early. That being said, I'll take longer to clean up and make myself look busy while people start to leave."

She glanced over with a raised eyebrow. "You've thought this through."

"Well when it comes to others on the line, I have to." He could see the obsidian haired woman smile ever so faintly before the car fell back into silence.

He looked out the window as he thought to himself. He hadn't seen them since the end of school. He won't lie, he missed Cardin and Russell. Sure they occasionally played online during the summer, though that quickly stopped since the incident…

Then there was Weiss, something that stuck in the back of his mind. Ultimately, the rate of her messages decreased substantially past his birthday. In fact, she hadn't texted him not a once since he'd been over to The Branwen-Xiao-Long household. He won't lie, he achieved a degree of peace knowing she had given up. However, he could only forget for so long. It was inevitable for the two to cross paths. He had to remain strong. He couldn't give in.

The car made a right turn, descending a small hill to where the strange "Y" looking school building. The care moved to one of the bus lanes that sat in front of the building to where the car idled. Raven turned the car off as Jaune unbuckled himself. He looked around the parking lot to find it empty. Then again, the only one using the building was the band, and they were an hour and a half ahead of everyone else, even Qrow.

Jaune opened the door and stood up while stretching his legs. It had been a while he came here. His eyes drifted towards the spot where he nearly died. The spot where a stranger took him in, well family now. "One more thing," Raven said causing to shift his gaze back to the woman on the other side of the car. "If your heart starts acting up, you tell me right away, no matter what."

Jaune realized that it wasn't a request. "I promise" he reaffirmed. The woman smiled as she slammed her door. With bags slung behind their backs, they entered the empty school.

Eerily quiet. Silence ruled over the building as he walked down the dark corridor. Of course, there was lighting; the cleaning staff continued to work, clearly evident by the stench of harsh chemicals. The two of them walked past the atrium, passing the bronze statue of the school mascot, the Mustang. They made a left, walking down a ramp to the band room.

Once the door was unlocked, Jaune held it open for the instructor who flicked on the lights. "Been awhile…" Jaune muttered to himself as he looked around the multitiered room. On the bottom tier was Qrow's trusty old stool, in front of his podium. Around the podium were a row of chairs that formed a curve around the podium. Each tier had more chairs that arched up until the top tier which was Jaune home, the percussion section. The amphitheater-like room smelled of disinfectant, but Jaune didn't mind in the least bit.

"It has," The woman said as she dropped her bag on the ground with a light thud. She tossed him something which he caught in his hands, a granola bar. "I talked to Summer, she said she was going to stop by and drop off your renewed prescription."

He took the hint and quickly devoured the bar. With that, Raven held up a small orange bottle which Jaune took out of her hand. He opens and looked inside. He blinked, feeling a little nauseous, one pill left. One pill. He never realized how close he was. "I'll have to thank her." He moved back to his chair uncapping a bottle of water, sealing the pill and guzzled down the bottle.

Her crimson eyes flickered with concern. "Is that going to be enough to tide you over? I can run out and get something."

He sat down kicking his legs up on another chair. "No thanks," He said as he looked up at the ceiling, "I'll be fine. So what are we doing tonight?"

He didn't look to know that Raven pulled out her drum pad, something hadn't seen in awhile. As if on cue, he heard the rhythmic tapping that he found so relaxing. "Well…". She thought out loud as she kept on tapping out a rather slow rhythm, "Qrow is going to nominate leaders for each section…" Jaune lifted his head up to look at her questioningly.

"Leader? That's something new."

She shrugged as she continued to tap on her pad. "I suppose… He's always been the more… adventurous one."

"Any idea who might be leading percussion?"

Raven stopped her tapping to give knowing smirk. "Two ideas." _Probably Weiss._ He thought to himself. "You didn't hear it from me, but Weiss or you."

 _Why me. I haven't really done anything._ "Why me?"

She shrugged as she zoned, out focusing on the rhythm, "You're good, and you can keep Cardin and Russell in line. Weiss also seems to be willing to listen to you." _Not anymore._ He couldn't help to roll his eyes "You don't think so." She said eyeing him up.

Jaune immediately crossed his arms. "Oh I know so… not with We-". He immediately clamped his mouth shut as Raven looked at him very suspiciously. She brought her sticks together with a click, setting them down on the podium. "What was that?" The obsidian-haired woman asked.

 _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._ He started to scan around the room, looking for something or anything that he could to contain control of the situation. "You said Weiss." She stated bluntly. "Did something happen?"

He scoffed awkwardly. "Psht, o-of ccourse not…"

However, the blonde boy was a horrible liar. "You did." She insisted, using a more motherly tone. "Jaune, what happened?"

He couldn't look at her. His eyes stared up towards where she would be during band. "Nothing. Friends have falling outs. It's normal." He closed his eyes clearing his throat. _Calm yourself._ He told himself.

"Hey." He looked over at the podium, at the women that seemed to have a legitimate look of concern and sympathy. "You know you can talk to me about things." She let out a small chuckle. "Even girl issues."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He gave a roll of the hand dismissing the accusation. He could still see how she wasn't convinced. "Really. I'm fine."

She looked as if she were going to reply when the band room door opened. In walked lanky Qrow with a pair of shades hiding his red eyes. "Dear brother!" Raven greeted. "You're late." She stated bluntly.

"Hey guys!" Qrow said cheerfully walking past his student and sister, "and Rae, you're just an overachiever. I'm sure Jaune can vouch for that."

Her crimson honed in on his sapphire eye as if to say _don't stab me in the back_. "He isn't wrong you know."

The scowl that received as she crossed her arms pouting, "I can be cool too…" earning a snicker from her brother.

As he walked, he patted his dear sister on the head. "Maybe, but remember, I'm the coolest, Summer said so."

"She's married to you!" His sister face palmed. "She's obligated to think you're cool!"

The man shrugged, giving a cheeky grin. "So it worked out then," causing his sister to only to shake her head.

She turned to Jaune with a look of exasperation, holding her hand up to her cheek. "See what I have to put up with? The sheer stupidity..."

"You love me!" Qrow shot back from his office causing Jaune to snicker. He truly did enjoy the Branwens. The back and forths were just classic, a part of him was envious. Why couldn't he have a family like? Siblings that gave a damn about the only checking he got were two words: happy (fucking) birthday. What a joke.

The screech of a stool snapped him out of his thoughts. "Hey, I'm going to go talk to Qrow real quick. If you wanna get set up, go ahead." She said as she stood up. "Remember-"

Jaune smiled at sincerity. "If I feel anything strange, you'll be the first to know." Satisfied with his response, she nodded as she joined her brother in his office. The blonde boy walked into the storage room. _It's been an eternity._ He thought to himself as he ran his hand along the bass drum cases that were now on ground level instead of being on the top shelf which was easily fifteen feet. He passed the small pencil gray cube that housed the marching snare until he found what he was looking for, the trapezoid case of his tenors.

The worn safety clasp was partly broken as he clicked it. He removed the top to see the four drums bolted to a metal band. The heads of the drum had dents from the last year. Odd how things change so quickly what was a couple of months felt like a lifetime. He lifted up the drum and hefted it out of the storage.

He grunted as he lugged them up the tiers. His suspicions were confirmed as his arms started to protest. Yeah, he was going to need to get back in shape. He found his trusty quad stands in the corner behind the actual drumset. He hefted it over the seat and placed it in the middle of the tier. Snapping his fingers, he realized that they were going to be doing some marching, he went back to the storage room. Sitting up above cubby holes, he found his harness as he grabbed it. He looked down in the harness to see a small piece of paper wedged into the harness.

Odd, he didn't remember placing that piece of paper in there. He pulled it out and uncrumpled it, revealing a hand drawn picture. He felt his throat tighten up as he looked down at the image. The delicate image consisted of two people sitting together on a bus seat. He felt cold, frigid, as if he were taken to Siberia in the dead of winter.

A familiar girl, white hair, wearing a blue and white t-shirt with a modest blue skirt… or that's what she wore underneath the green hoodie… his green hoodie. The girl was smiling contently as she rested her head on another figure who was wearing a simple gray t-shirt and shorts, both of them sharing a pair of earbuds. The amount of effort, the delicate, yet precision of the lines rendered it almost life-like. The shading added a sense of realism that brought him back to that night.

Underneath the image, it had one line, 'Can't we go back to this?' Jaune cleared his throat and blinked away the tears. "No. No, we can't." He mumbled out loud. He was tempted to rip up the paper or toss it out. Yet he felt compelled to hold on to it as he folded it up quickly and stuffed it into his pocket, as well as the back of his mind.

With harness in hand, he walked out into the band room to hear the door open up. There she was, the same girl in the picture that was in his pocket, a light blue blouse and knee high jean shorts. _No. No. No. No. No. No. No._

Blue eyes met for a brief moment. A moment that transcended time. No expression, no happiness, no joy, no anger, no sadness. Just a blank stare. He felt compelled to say something, anything. He wanted her to say something, anything.

No, instead, they just stared at one another until Weiss suddenly turned 90 degrees like a well-oiled machine and walked up the tier. At that moment, Jaune knew he had done something truly despicable as he watched her climb with a sense of purpose, strength, and most importantly, pride. She didn't take a second glance as she moved up to her vibraphone.

Making sure to avoid any and all eye contact with her, he took the long way around until he reached the top tier. He placed his harness on the ground, slowly watching Weiss from the corner of his eye.

" _Really?"_ He practically jumped at the harshness of the higher pitched voice that belonged to his former friend. "Eight months Jaune. Eight. Months. Eight months since you last talked to me." The white haired girl whirled around, standing above him, her arms crossed as she glared down at him.

He stood there, bent over thinking. _This was going to happen one way or another._

' _Well, of course, you were the one to cut ties wither.'_

 _For HER own good._

' _She should be the one to determine that.'_

He let out a sigh before straightening up. What he saw he would never forget. The anger, the bitterness, the sheer pain of betrayal. His betrayal of their friendship. "Do you have anything to say for yourself." She jabbed a sharp finger into his chest.

Welp, it was time for the truth, "No."

"What do you mean 'No?'" She practically snarled.

Jaune shrugged as he turned his back on her. "I mean." He closed his eyes, clenching them shut. "I don't have anything to say."

A moment of silence passed between the two.

…

…

…

His heart felt cold as it sank into his stomach. "What happened…?" Her hush-voiced echoed in his head. "What happened to us…? To you?" He could feel his teeth clenched as she continued. "We were friends, best of friends. Friends don't treat each other like this."

Jaune slowly turned around to face the pissed off girl, staring the girl right in the eye. "Maybe we weren't friends to begin with."

She blinked as if stunned. "W-w-what?" She stuttered.

 _Don't do this._

' _This is for her own good.'_

 _You are going down a road you don't wan.._ "Have you ever thought I had feelings for you?" He let loose, the dam was breaking away. "You go out with Neptune the night where I had to go home because of a heart condition? I was planning on hanging out with you. I wanted to ask you out that night." The pale girl took a step back with a look of pure confusion and terror as if she were to be hit by a truck. "But no, you out with a stranger you never met, but it's fine, it's whatever. You wanted the truth. You have it."

"Jaune… I'm sorry but…"

'But' was all he needed to hear. That usually meant I don't have the same feelings. He swiveled ninety degrees and headed towards the annex of the band room. "I'm done." He announced as he opened the door and went out to the foyer that contained the band bathrooms and an impromptu practice room.

With the thud of the door, Jaune slumped down to the ground. The cool tiled floor soothed his sweat and burning hands. "Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you." He grunted.

Minutes passed by until he heard the door open. "Go away Weiss. I don't have anything to say."

"Weiss?" A cocky voice shot back "Last time I checked, I'm a dude." There he was, Cardin Winchester. As he strolled offering a hand to Jaune which he took. "Been awhile man, where've you been?"

 _Places you could only imagine._ "Sorry, I've been dealing with some stuff." He stood up, dusting his pants from the rather disgusting floor. Finally, Russell stepped in. "It's with Weiss isn't it." The taller, muscular boy guessed with arms crossed.

A pause. A moment too long. "I figured. She said no, didn't she?" Russell asked, stepping into the foyer, causing Jaune to raise his eyebrow. "Ahhh dude, come on, we all knew. It was pretty obvious."

The blonde stared at the ground, shaking his head. "This wasn't supposed to happen."

"She was leading you on." Russell came patting him on the shoulder. _How though?_

"She knew you had feelings for her. She blamed you for cutting ties, yet she was the one to go out with that douche bag in Newport." Cardin stood by him.

 _The irony, and they don't even know all of it._ "It's her loss bro. She turned you down. She led you along until she found _him_." Russell chimed

Something snapped within him as he turned around staring at the brick wall. He slammed his fist into the wall. Once, Twice, Thrice. He could feel his hand ache until a hand grabbed him by the wrist. "Don't be angry at yourself. Be angry at her." Cardin growled. _This is all fucking shit._ He wanted things to go smoother. He didn't want to feel this anger at himself, at her. Yet the more Cardin and Russell talked, the more he got angry.

And anger was not good for thinking clearly. "Come on let's go back outside. Band is about to start." Jaune nodded receiving pats on the back. The three of them entered back in the band room.

The room was filled with returning band kids. His eyes scanning over familiar people. Yet he found one person staring right at him. Correction. Two people. Velvet and Weiss, and Velvet looked absolutely furious. She stormed over as Jaune gulped. Before he knew it, she was literally up in his face, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him back in the foyer.

 ***** _ **SSSLLLAAAPPPP***_ A strong hand smashed into his cheek as he winced in pain. "I told you. I told you Jaune Arc, to stay away from her. I told you not to screw around with her."

Jaune's eye twitched. "You aren't the only way to say that." He spat on the ground, slightly tinged with blood as he straightened himself up. He expected for the usually timid girl to shy way, but not in the least bit, her scowl only deepened.

"What does that even mean?"

He averted his eyes. "Doesn't even matter anymore." He whispered.

"Jaune. Tell. Me." She punctuated.

Angry sapphire eyes looked just as angry brown eyes. No, he felt a certain fire in heart erupt. "Velvet, go fuck off. I'm done with this. I'm done with her. Tell her that she doesn't need to worry about me anymore. I'm fucking done with this now." With that he stormed against the protest of the drum major. He walked into the band room to see a stunned Cardin and Russell. "What?" He narrowed his eyes at the both of them.

"Uhh nothing." Russell covered both of their tracks.

"Good," Jaune grunted. "We've got work to do."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Sooooo…. I don't actually know if Fanfic is going to actually update, but this was nagging me in the back of my mind. A slightly shorter chapter. I had to cut this one into a two-parter, or else would have easily reached 6,000-8,000 words.**

 **Sooooooo…. Some things happened…. Weiss and Jaune….. Gosh… that must be a bomb…. That, and Velvet stays true to her word. She warned Jaune to stay away.**

 **So now Weiss in charge of a section that is not too fond of her at the moment…. Good luck Weiss! Oh.. and yeah, she's going to be different because of the stunt Jaune pulled (or was forced to pull against his own will).**

 **Let me ask a question: What do you guys think? Thoughts? Feelings? Opinions? Questions? Reactions? Any and all.**

 **Also for those that follow Lost, Chapter 10 is out. Those who follow Shattered, a redo is being planned. Finally, a new story is being thought out right now. Let me tell you it's going to be very… shall we say… unique.**

 **REVIEWS!**

 **DragonManMax: Hello my dear friend! *Bows* I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, it always brings a smile to me. It's good to be back in town! Missed everyone! Old man Watts as in Arthur Watts…. As in Salem's cronie… trust me he'll be in play soonish there will be trouble with STRQ, Jaune, Ruby, and Yang! No spoilers though. No comments on shipping! xD**

 **Yukas: MY MATE! BEEN AWHILE! I won't it was a little slow, I will agree. That was sitting on the shelf for a wee bit, and getting back into was rough. Blake will be making an appearance two chapters from now! You sly little devil, you know my policy on shipping lols. Such a meme at this point.**

 **Xerzo: My friend. Don't worry about Summer, it will still be extended, it'll be over and I think another 5-6 chapters? I think, which is a bit for me, but don't quote me on that. Me pull shenanigans? What? Noooooo…. I would never :) trust me anything and everything is possible…. Well… maybe not literally.. But we'll see.**

 **AlNation1: Hey bud! Been awhile! Let me tell you, I've been waiting to get back to Weiss…. Cause plans BAHAHAHAAHAHA.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **-Lordxsauron**


	19. Chapter 19:Specters from the Past Part 2

**Chapter 19: Specters from the Past: Part 2**

Jaune sat down, feeling pretty at ease at this point with Cardin and Russell sitting on either side of him. He heard the door slam and, moments later, the Band instructor, Mr. Branwen, showed up with his sister following behind. He pulled the stool out, taking a seat. "HEY HEY HEY EVERYBODY!" He called out to get everyone attention. The room slowly died down as everyone took their seat. "Welcome to another beautiful season of marching band! That being said, we're going to have a lot of fun this year."

Jaune eyed the director neutrally. _Fun indeed._ He scoffed mentally. Getting slapped across the face isn't considered to be fun, at least not in his book. "First things first. Nomination of the drum major." He pointed at the girl sitting on the top tier with Weiss. "Velvet Scarlatina… again! Come on down!"

Said girl, strolled down the tiers standing by the other side of the director. "Now… we're going to be doing something new this season, each section will have a leader." _Let the show begin._

"Coco Adel," Qrow called forth as the stylish junior stood up, "will be leading brass." As everyone started to clap, even Jaune.

"May Zedong," The quiet girl in a tracksuit and beanie stood up. "Woodwinds." Everyone clapped for the girl as well.

"Weiss Schnee." The white haired girl stood up as everyone applauded except for three.

"Are you fucking kidding me…" Cardin whispered into Jaune's ear.

"Dude you should have totally gotten it." Russell quietly agreed.

Jaune didn't say anything as he crossed his arms. On the one hand, he felt guilty. On the other, a war was going to start, and the smell of blood at this point was too alluring for Russell and Cardin. Frankly, Jaune wanted to remain neutral.

* * *

"SET!" Raven called out as the percussion snapped to attention. Jaune would be smiling if set wasn't called. It felt good, better than good, amazing, to be doing this all over again. Odd how he missed band, though he started to feel out of shape as the quads and harness were starting to dig into his shoulders, but he didn't mind. It felt good; it felt reassuring

The sun blared down as they just finished basics, which everyone sighed in protest. Everyone, at least in percussion, knew basic commands. Wasting an hour on stretching, marching, and commands was boring. "Who remembers cadence?" Their instructor asked.

Russell, Jaune, and Cardin shot their hands up. It was just like riding a bike, you don't forget, and Jaune was eager to play. "Good, Jaune tap us off." She clicked her sticks at the expected tempo. Tap.. Tap.. Tap.. Tap.. Tap.. Tap.. Tap..

Jaune sticked the tempo in the air getting a feel for the pace. Content he had the speed, he then tapped the quad's highest drum. **Tap**..dat..dat..dat.. **Tap**..dat..dat..dat.. **Tap**..dat.. **Tap**..dat.. **Tap.. Tap.. Tap.. Tap..** _Let's see if I still have this._ **TAP.**

Right foot hit on beat one, he gave a subtle smile as a sense of satisfaction filled him. They marched from the student parking lot down to the football field. The mini hike, if you could call it that, was a workout in and of itself. Lugging a forty pound drum on your chest with a five-pound harness only made it so much more enjoyable. "You doing alright?" He looked over to see Raven marching up beside him as he continued to play the cadence.

His hands danced around the drum as he nodded. "I'm…" Tap.. "Good." With that he watched the instructor move up, leading the four-person column. They reached the top of the hill, as they lined up on the sidewalk to the side entrance to the school and bandroom where their instructor raised her sticks in an "X" **TAP.** Jaune drew his sticks together standing still as a statue, breathing in heavily.

A few moments had passed before she lowered her sticks yet no one budged. "At ease." Immediately Jaune took the harness off followed by Cardin and Russell.

"Nailed it," Cardin smirked shaking the shoulders of both Jaune and Russell. Jaune nodded, his eyes drifting towards Weiss noting how she was standing alone, her back turned toward them. What guilt he might have felt quickly faded away now. She didn't share in the same burden of lugging the heavy instruments on their shoulders while playing. All she had to do was march.

Jaune nodded rolled his shoulders, actively turning his back on Weiss. _Two can play this game._ "Take twenty, I need to make some copies." Raven said as she turned to Weiss "Make sure they're ready by then."

Weiss nodded in acknowledgment as their instructor made her way to the door and towards the office. Jaune brushed past Weiss, completely ignoring her as Cardin and Russell followed right by behind. He went over to the soda machine, feeding a dollar bill into it. "I don't even know why we need her." Cardin thought out loud, getting a bag of chips.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I mean heck, mallets get drowned out by the woodwind."

Jaune just nodded as he cracked open the bottle of Mountain Dew, taking a quick swig as he turned to see Weiss approaching the door. He watched neutrally as she walked inside, looking at the three of them, before giving them the chin continuing before entering the band room. The door slammed shut as Cardin popped the bag of chips.

"Stuck up bitch." He grunted as he took a handful of chips and stuffed his face.

Normally Jaune would have defended her, or lessen the harshness of the statement, or redirect the conversation. "Dude, I don't know what you saw in her."

Jaune took another swig, wiping his mouth. "Yeah… I don't know either." With snacks in hand, they walked in the band room, not even paying any mind to Weiss who was practicing on her vibraphone.

He noted how the intensity increased the moment they walked in, whether that was due to her anger and resentment towards the three of them. "Overachiever," Russell muttered. Apparently, it was audible enough for Weiss to hear as it caught her off guard, and she got offbeat and never recovered.

She hit "G" aggressively, nearly losing control of her mallets. Cardin and Russell glared at her as Jaune rolled his eyes. "Let's go get our stuff guys." He suggested. The three of them left, Jaune lingering slightly staring at Weiss. His anger, his resentment prevented him from looking away. The two stood there, a contest of wills until Cardin called his name.

"Let's go Jaune," Cardin called, dragging his attention. He shot her a venomous look before turning away and grabbing his drum.

* * *

Raven held her sticks up in the air signaling that they were on their last repetition. TAP. Their instructor looked up at the wall. 8:50. She rubbed her chin with a mischievous smirk. "That was a pretty rough rep…" She thought out loud. "What does our leader have to say?" Her red eyes flashed over to Weiss.

The white haired girl nodded in agreement. "Jaune sped up tempo while Cardin and Russell lagged behind." Her blue eyes flashed at the three. "They should be following me when I tap off. I set the tempo."

The blonde boy hmmphed in response while standing at attention. She had no right to even claim that when she was speeding tempo. _I was keeping the tempo you set, not my fault you fell behind._ "Call it a night or run it again."

Weiss didn't hesitate one bit. "Run it again," earning the groans and complaints of Cardin and Russell while Jaune stared straight ahead, trying to keep a neutral look.

"Oh come on!" Cardin whined.

"Mr. Winchester shut it. Weiss is the leader. You follow what she says unless I say otherwise."

"I don't see why she's leader!" He shot back. "We didn't vote on it. Why should we follow someone that no one likes!"

Jaune's heart skipped a beat, he had never really seen anyone act blatantly disrespectful to Raven, and this was the first time he openly admitted, in public, his utter and complete contempt for the white haired girl. Jaune, won't lie, he felt kinda bad for Weiss, but only slightly.

However, Raven was not to be trifled with. She did not tolerate disrespect, as Jaune was about to learn. "Cardin Winchester. Outside. Now." She pointed a sharp finger at the door.

The muscular boy shrugged, looking as confident as usual. Jaune watched with a level of surprise, his eyes drifting back to Raven who was sitting on the stool, covering her mouth with a hand, her red eyes watching the young man vacated the room.

Her crimson eyes returned to the three that were left. "You're excused. See you next week." She stood up and walked over to the door deliberately. _Good luck Cardin._

Raven slammed the door behind her. She saw Cardin leaning up against the wall, the blatant callousness of the boy offended Raven. "Stand up straight." He didn't yell, she didn't bark, just a cold, calculated calmness filled her tone to the point it could freeze water. Immediately the boy's smile vanished as he complied. Raven eyed him up, noting the height difference which added to the terror factor.

She could feel the boy's confidence drain as she stared down at him with a raised eyebrow, her arms crossed. The boy must have been getting nervous, as she could sweat start to develop on his brow.

A full minute of this stare down continued. "Cardin." Her voice was so dark and hushed. "What are you going to do with your life?"

The boy looked almost confused, as if he was expected to get yelled at, chewed out, or something. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Branwen, what do you mean?"

"I mean what are you planning to do after high school?" She explained.

Cardin started to shift uncomfortably not knowing where this goes. "I don't know ma'am… My family has always had a history of joining the military, I plan on doing the same."

Bingo. Raven smirked, letting out a small chuckle which seemed make the boy angry. "What's so funny?" He demanded to know.

She kept on chuckling to herself. "Oh… nothing…"

"What's so funny." He demanded, only getting angrier.

"You want to serve in the military, an institution that built upon following orders from people far worse than Weiss… You wouldn't last an hour."

"I can so!" He protested

Raven chuckle turned into blatant laughter which caused the boy to turn bright red. "Oh no, you wouldn't. If you can't handle school, which I'll remind you, is nothing like the military, you'll get discharged for insubordination. Weiss is nothing." Raven stepped closer making him look at her. "I'm nothing compared to those instructors. You better give up on that dream because I would hate for the military waste their time and more importantly, my taxpayer dollars on a wasted opportunity."

 _Checkmate_. She thought to herself as the boy was stunned into silence. He seemed to lose his attitude at that. "You have potential Mr. Winchester, you don't have to like Weiss, but you should give her respect. Respect goes a long way in the military. A lot more than childish outbursts."

He seemed to think about it before nodding. "Good, now can we go on with the business at hand?"

He nodded again. "Another outburst like that and I'll have you removed and call home. I want you to go inside and apologize."

The stunned look instantly shifted to anger. "B-But…"

She stared him down before he backed down. She stood her ground as he hung his head, walking around her.

The instructor followed behind as they both entered the band room where Cardin cleared his throat. "Err, Weiss." He mumbled.

"Say as if you mean it." Raven crossed her arms impatiently.

The white haired girl stopped putting a cover the vibraphone, her blue eyes locking onto Cardin as Jaune and Russell emerged from the storage room. "I apologize." Cardin started as he gritted his teeth, "for being rude earlier."

Jaune realized that Raven just made one of the biggest mistakes by forcing Cardin to apologize. It was one thing to pull him aside and talk to him, but to make him apologize to someone he had no fond emotions for was like poking a bear with a stick. Though it wouldn't be on Raven's head, it would be on Weiss' The blonde boy watched his supposed leader who nodded. "Apology accepted, Cardin."

 _Oh, Weiss…. What have you done?_ Jaune watched, his eyes going back to Cardin, who seemed beyond angry. "Good. You are all dismissed." Raven said going back to the office. With that, Weiss made her way out of the band room, the cover over her own vibraphone.

"Stupid bitch," Cardin grunted as he went up to the tier to pick up his bass drum. "Making me apologize to someone who doesn't even help with cleanup. What kind of leader doesn't help with cleanup?" He spat vehemently.

"Dude that wasn't cool, you didn't do anything," Russell said, taking his snare drum. "We didn't have a choice."

Jaune remained silent as he followed the two back to the storage room as they continued to clean up. "Yeah." Cardin grunted "Horseshit. No one even likes her." He turned to face Jaune. "It should have been you."

Jaune shrugged as he opened his case placed his instrument inside. "I don't want to deal with Weiss, sorry man."

Cardin finished clasping his safety grasp together. "No worries man. We have a beef with her, not you."

At that, the three made their way back to the band room. "See you next week." Jaune waved as Cardin and Russell left the bandroom.

With that, the band room was empty as Jaune took a seat. "What a day…". He breathed as he closed his eyes, enjoying the moment of silence.

He lost track of time as he felt a shake on the shoulder. His eyes darted open seeing the black haired siblings, Qrow sitting on his stool and Raven looming over him.

"Ahhh sorry, I must have drifted off to sleep." He straightened himself up earning sympathetic smiles.

"No issues?" Qrow asked which Jaune assumed he meant with his heart.

"None, sir."

"Anything else?" Qrow prodded causing Jaune to raise an eyebrow.

'None that I can think of." He replied.

With that Qrow, stood up, grabbing his bag. He stopped by his sister, whispering something in his ear which caused her smile to harden briefly. She nodded to whatever she said before picking up her own bag. "Ready?" She asked to which Jaune nodded.

* * *

The car ride was relatively quiet again, good thing too. A lot had happened. Jaune had a sense that Raven knew something was amiss, thankfully, for once, she wasn't poking and prodding. They reached home as the car pulled up the small driveway where Tai's Toyota Corolla was parked. He undid his seatbelt and shot out of the car when Raven stopped him.

"Jaune," He froze turning around to face the woman. "Are you sure you don't mind if you aren't the leader?"

"I'm completely fine with it, but others aren't." He turned away from a thinking Raven before she followed behind them. Jaune opened the door, holding it open as Raven smiled in thanks.

"Yeah… I got that from Cardin…" Raven muttered to herself as if thinking "But are you going to be alright with taking from Weiss?"

There was a moment pause, something that Raven took note of. "I will follow orders that are given." He replied

"Home, sweet home," Jaune muttered to himself with an air of ease as he kicked his shoes off by the door, following Raven by example.

"You hungry? I can make something for you." She said as she walked into the kitchen.

He followed her into the kitchen, going up to the cupboard and taking out a glass. He filled with water before gulping it all down "No thank you, I'm fine."

Raven grunted in response as she shook her head slightly. "I'll make you something. It'll be in the fridge if you're hungry." _Persistent._ He thought with a smile.

"Thank you." She simply nodded in response as he filled up his glass a second time, taking it upstairs with him. Yang's door was cracked open so he decided to pay a visit with a light knock. "Come on in." A relaxed voice said. Jaune opened the door slowly to see Yang propped up on her bed watching t.v. Her grass stained practice clothing now gone with a simple black t-shirt with matching shorts. Her bored look immediately lightened up. "Hey there tiger! Get on in here!"

The blonde did as requested and picked up the red lounge gaming chair and placed it by her bed. "So…. How was practice…?"

He took a sip of water trying to calm himself. "It was…. Alright," he muttered as he watched the t.v. She was watching one of her favorite t.v. shows that tested athletes on an insanely difficult obstacle course. However, she wasn't watching it right now. She rolled on her stomach, resting on a pillow.

"Ohh? So what happened?"

"Nothing…" _She isn't going to stop… Need to think of a quick out._

Yang's brow knitted together in frustration. It must be frustrating when he was like this. "Jaune… I'd rather not have to beat it out of you."

He looked over with an unimpressed role of the eyes. "You wouldn't."

Yang's fake aggressiveness immediately gave out. "Yeah… worth a shot though…". Yang muttered dejectedly

He placed his glass on the table, continuing to watch the game. "It's weird. A summer goes by, and things change so quickly. People change. I was out of contact with a lot of people, and I feel guilty about-". It also came out. Thank god he was interrupted

"That wasn't your fault," Yang interjected, "You're in really hard situation. Not a lot of people-"

Now it was time for Jaune to intervene "I know, but I still feel bad about not being in contact." He picked up his class as he took a sip.

Yang nodded understandingly. "Well… it's the beginning of a new year right?" He nodded. "New year means a new start."

 _New start…. Indeed a new start._ He couldn't help but smile at the irony. A new start, but was it a good or a bad one. "Yeah. I guess you're right." Deciding to get switch subjects, an idea popped into his head. "Battlefield or Halo?"

"I'm in the mood to bayonet people." His fellow blonde immediately jumped up, turning on the console and exchanging the discs, "So are you excited for the bonfire next week?"

Blue eyes went wide in surprise. _God that was fast._ "I totally forgot about that.. oops" Time does really fly huh...

He earned a chuckle from the blonde girl. "Yeah… I would have too if Ruby hadn't been reminding every chance she gets.

"Are you sure it isn't a problem?" Jaune asked as he pulled out his phone. He read the message over and over again. _I'm sorry Jaune! I can't believe I didn't invite you. I would have if I knew that you knew Yang and Ruby._

She cocked her questioningly. "You're still caught up on that?"

He nodded, "Yeah I just don't want to be invited because I know you two, it'll be weird."

"Read the message again."

"I'm sorry Jaune. I can't believe I didn't invite you. I would have if I knew that you knew Yang and Ruby." He read out loud in a monotone voice.

"See!" She pointed at his phone. "It's right there."

"But-"

"No buts, if she didn't want you there, you'd know. She isn't afraid to speak her mind." Yang reassured. "What she says, she means, take it from her best friend."

Jaune nodded. He trusted Yang, but it still didn't sit right with him

XXXXXXXXX

After making the promised plate of a hamburger and some French fries, Raven made a simple sandwich for herself and made her way to the living room.

She sat beside her husband who was just lounging around watching t.v. He draped his arm over her shoulder as she drew closer to him. "What? No school work tonight?"

She kicked her legs up on the table as picked up her sandwich and took a bite. She shook her head while chewing. A brief moment, she swallowed. "It was a long one today."

"What's up?" He asked rubbing her shoulder.

"Had to put one of the kids in their place." She looked over to be met with a questioning glance. "No not Jaune, he's a good kid. One of his friends." She explained.

"So what happened?"

"One of the kids doesn't like our choice for leader. I had my second thoughts on her, but Jaune turned it down." She took another bite of her sandwich.

"Why's that?" He asked curiously.

She shrugged, "I'm not too sure, but I assume it has something to do with him and Weiss and him wanting him to be out of the limelight." Then it clicked. She looked over at Tai who had the same look.

"You don't think him and this Weiss are…?"

Rave tossed her head back while face palming. "A thing? Oh god no… why do things have to be so complicated? We were never this complicated."

"no you were just thick headed."

She rolled her head slightly, shooting him a cold glare while giving him a shove. "Me? Last time I checked, you were just a blockhead. It was Summer and Qrow that finally convinced us to go out on a date."

"No regrets," Tai said with a content sigh.

"None at all," His wife said as she rested her head on his shoulder. Tai saw an opportunity as his free hand reached for the sandwich which was immediately slapped away. "Mine." Raven shot a knowing smirk.

* * *

 _We think that the past will never come back to haunt. Others fear the past completely that they fear the future. How naive of me think that I could escape the past. I couldn't escape what I did to Weiss, as much as I wanted to. My connection to Weiss, the state of our relationship, what I did to her, changed everything. Just as the past guides and shapes the future, so to did my connection to Weiss shape the coming four years, if not my entire life._

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Oh…. I didn't see you there! Well, I'm glad you stopped by and read the chapter.**

 **First, I want to say that my editor, co-author, whatever he is, he's got a new story: Less Than Human. I guess, I'm kind of helping out in it, but show it some love cause I'm loving it so far.**

 **First thing is first thanks to shaded for all the hard work he does as usual. This is where he says things.**

 **Shaded: Sup, Taiyang's Corolla may or may not be my idea. I just imagine him in a Corolla.**

 **Sauron: Creative liberty XD Have at it man.**

 **So a few things… Jaune and Weiss….. They seem to be at it, but more so Cardin and Weiss after that smack down by Raven. Also, I felt like shortening the band practice 'cause it would just focus on basic stuff.**

 **Next chapter….. Bonfire! Yang's squad or crew…. (idk what hip-hop youngsters say these days… I'll shut up lol) No, but for real, we'll see more Pyrrha, Ruby, and Yang with some Blake! People will talk, friendships will be formed! Probably some awkwardness will be had!**

 **P.S. Something big is going to coming around chapter 25-30 (Each arc will have a specific event associated to it... let me tell you the Fall Semester, somethings will be strained, people will be pushed to their limit.) Keep an eye open for it! No spoilers tehe.**

 **As always I pose a question: What did you guys think of the chapter? What do you think will happen in the next one? Thoughts, questions, reactions, predictions, any and all will be welcome! Love to hear from any and all readers!**

 **REVIEWS**

 **Jiore: Hello my dear friend! Yeah… that kind of thing sucks… and I mean through my high school experience, I've seen a lot of this, not the same example, instances of friends being interrupted through one side trying to do what is right… It happens ya know. If we shout loud enough, he might here us! But will they reconcile…? *Shrugs with a cheeky grin***

 **Justjustin: Hey my friend! Glad you like the story so far. Hopefully I don't disappoint!**

 **DragonManMax: Well hopefully it was a good sandwich… don't choke though! Also, how goes it my dear friend! I'm glad you like the chapter, always brings a smile to me. Oh and trust me, things with Weiss will be a thing and they will be resolved xD BAHAHAHAHA (totally not an evil laugh or anything). You would be correct, next chapter is the bonfire with Ruby and Blake! I'm so super duper excited for Blake and Ruby…. (innocent smile.) As for the game… we don't talk about the game, it'll scare away the children (we'll totally see more…)**

 **Frnkflo228: My friend! I'm shocked you stuck around that long. Arkos was just stepping stone, if you will, into writing… However, I am truly honored that you binge read, I'm also shocked that you each one was a falcon punch. My goal with this project is to point out that a person isn't so black and white and that life is never purely up and down, lots of hills instead. I hope I don't disappoint. Hopefully you will keep on enjoying**

 **MorgothII: Hello my dear reader! I'll let shaded answer this one: Yeah you're totally right ;). The way I see it, she's more protective towards those she' cares about.**

 **Guest: There is an end goal planned. Though, if you could, please point out inconsistencies and problems… it helps a great deal, and I prefer honestly. PM or leave a review.**

 **Guest 2: The point was to be vague threat, but we'll see that come into play in a bit.**

 **Xerzo: So marching band, at least in my experience (percussion) started in mid July. I can't say for other schools though. But you are right there is a time gap, but I leave that to the reader to decide what will happen during that gap when it comes to Jaune spending day to day with the Xiao-Long-Branwen household. As for where this is going? It could go anyway, it's the unpredictable nature of life which is what I want to hint at. As for Weiss and Jaune… things will happen (don't know if they'll be good or bad)**

 **CS Guest: Thank you! I appreciate the feedback! It means a lot that you are truly invested. Hopefully I don't disappoint.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Forlorn peeps**

 **P.S. check out Less Than Human. Has the Sauron stamp of approval.**


	20. Chapter 20: Hope Over a Fire

**Chapter 20: Hope Over a Fire**

 _Pyrrha's bonfire, one of many that I attended with Yang. Though the first would always hold a special place in my heart. It gave me a certain kind of feeling, a feeling of belonging, of friendship, of calmness. I feel kind of guilty not being fully 'there,' I did enjoy myself a great deal. It gave me hope, a strange concept, though, at the time, I was still a stranger to that feeling._

* * *

"No drinking."

"Yes mom…." Yang rolled her eyes.

"No drugs. If Summer finds out…."

"It's not only our heads but your's and dad's." Yang finished with an exasperated sigh. "Jeez Mom, it's only going to be Pyrrha, Blake, and Ruby. Give them some credit…. it's not like I've known them growing up."

Raven let out a slight chuckle. "I have full confidence in them, but I'm a parent, it's my job to be a hardass…." Her smile hesitated a little, "...that and your Aunt scares me. A lot."

Jaune listened to the back and forth between mother and daughter with a smirk. Raven wasn't wrong; Summer did scare him quite a bit as well. "Jaune, the same goes for you." He immediately shook his head coming back to reality.

"Of course."

"I mean it. Heads will roll, mister." She gave that deadly serious look

He gulped in response. Of course, he would never consider doing anything like that, but Raven being blunt about consequences was also a good deterrent. "Got it."

He could see a grin forming on Yang's face as she turned her bed. "She doesn't mean anything. She's a softy."

The black-haired woman backhand her daughter's arm. "Hey! I'm the baddest badass you know."

"Summer has you beat you by miles." Yang shot back with a cheeky grin earning a pout from her mother.

The car drove through Newport going up several hills until they reached their destination. A ranch style house with a three car garage and a long driveway leading up to it.

"Alright." The car shut off as Raven undid her seatbelt. The three of them got out of the car.

"You know you don't have come with us…" Yang muttered.

"Ya know… I have friends too." Her mother shot back. "It just so happens that Pieter, Irelia and I go back a long way."

"How do you always know people…" Yang said almost disbelievingly.

"Blame your Uncle…" Raven responded as they climbed the stairs to the porch, "He's the one that forced me to be social when we were kids." Jaune listened intently as he followed behind. _Good for her._ He wished his own siblings were as dedicated. Then again, he was thankful to be in what he considered family now. Raven walked up to the door before giving a light knock. The oak door opened up to reveal a tall, slender woman with vibrant red hair resting just above bright green eyes. Immediately the woman reached and hugged the black-haired woman. "Rae! It's been too long!" Her pearly white teeth shined with a smile.

"Irelia! You look twenty years older." Raven tsked causing Jaune to look at Yang who just shrugged. Apparently, this was usual routine.

"Still a smartass as ever." The two women broke apart. "Pietr! The old hag is back!" Again, Jaune looked over to Yang who was smiling. Suddenly, a rather fit shaved head man with goatee showed up.

"You're right. The old hag is back." Pieter embraced with a cheeky grin. "Oh my it feels like a year since I saw Yang!"

"It's only been a couple of weeks Mr. Nikos." The blonde shook her head with a smile.

"A couple weeks too long." He crossed his arm, looking almost hurt. "Then again, Pyrrha has been running left and right with Soccer and Band." As Jaune watched and listened, he felt himself become smaller and smaller. He felt kind out of place, even more so when the woman towered over him, staring down at him critically. He felt like a deer being watched by the hunter.

"You must be Jaune." The red head's tone did not help with his nerves, "Pyrrha said that you two went to Sunday school together."

"T-t-hats right ma'am." He stuttered out loud. He felt those forest green eyes continue to study him

"Irelia, you're scaring the young man." Pietr interrupted.

"I just can't seem to remember…" She said, taking a step back.

Pieter let out a mighty chuckle, "Probably because we never went to church ourselves." He held out his hand to Jaune which he took. "Nice to meet you Mr. Arc."

"Likewise," Jaune replied.

"So how do you know the Branwen-Xiao-Longs?" Irelia inquired skeptically, causing Jaune to renew his sweating spree. If he knew he was going to be interrogated, he wouldn't have gone. _If they found out..._

"I've been friends with the Arcs for a long time back before I moved up here." Raven countered. "I just recently met his parents at a band competition which Yang happened to come along. The two seemed to hit it off." Red eyes wandered over to lilac.

"Yeppers, at Allentown," Yang confirmed cheerfully draping an arm around Jaune giving him a shake which forced an awkward chuckle from him.

Pietr's eyebrow rose slightly with a knowing smile, "Oh...Are you two a…" He received a harsh elbow from his wife and stares from three very shocked guests.

"Pietr! Don't be so intrusive." His wife hissed.

"Oh no, not a thing!"

"Just friends."

They countered rapidly, Jaune blushing while Yang just laughed. Jaune heard Raven took a step forward getting into Pietr's face standing toe to toe with the man. "I'd like it if my daughter and her friend weren't interrogated…" Raven muttered in a dangerous tone.

Husband and wife looked at one another before chuckling. "Sorry. Sorry. We just love giving you a hard time." Irelia smiled pointing toward the back. "Pyrrha is out back if you want to go see her. Raven, please come in, we have a lot of catching up to do." With that Yang and Jaune thanked them as Raven stepped inside.

"So that was a thing…" Jaune muttered as they walked down the stairs from the porch. They walked around the front yard gardens cordoned off by a small white picket fence.

"Heh... Yeah… sorry about that… They can be a little intense at times." Yang chuckled.

"No worries, just a surprise." He brushed off her concern as they reached the backyard. He scanned the area to see a small stone firepit with several lawn chairs around it. Between the fire pit and house was a small rectangular fold up table with assorted snacks and a cooler under said table.

Yet, no Pyrrha. He was a little anxious to be here. He felt like he forced himself over here because of Yang. Even after texting her, he almost felt like a third wheel here. The fear was discussed between the two of them, but she insisted that she wanted him at the bonfire, and with reluctance, Jaune agreed. Where is she though?

 ***Slam*** Both blondes looked over to see Pyrrha carrying three large bowls of unhealthy amounts of junk food. "Hello!" She chirped in an almost musical tone. Immediately Jaune and Yang moved to take a bowl from the tall redhead. "Thank you." She said as she placed them down on the table. Jaune found an empty spot and placed his bowl down as Yang did the same. Immediately, the tall redhead hugged the blonde girl. "Yang, it's been too long."

"Heh, your parents said the same thing," Yang said as two pulled away.

"Thank you for coming. It means a great deal."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Yang countered with a large grin. Pyrrha turned to face Jaune as she immediately embraced him, slightly stunning him. He won't lie it was different compared to Yang… it made his heart skip a few beats; something that scared him.

"U-U-Uhhh Hi Pyrrha."

"It's good to see you too Jaune." A waft of strawberries and cherries filled Jaune's nose. He couldn't lie… it smelt pretty amazing on Pyrrha… not to be a creep or anything.

"Good to see you too," Jaune said as the girl broke away, her vibrant green eyes stared at with him an almost uncontainable joy. "Though I won't lie, when Yang asked for you to come, I was a little surprised. I didn't know the two of you were friends."

Yang stood beside snacks, munching away on the chips. "Parents are friends." The blonde girl stated as if it were a fact as she continued to eat the chips.

"Yeah," Jaune nodded.

Seemingly accepting that as fact, Pyrrha gestured at the table. "Well, help yourselves." Yang reached for a bowl filled with cookies earning a sharp ***Thwack*** on the wrist making her recoil. "Xiao-Long those are for Ruby, hands off."

The blonde girl gave her puppy dog eyes as she batted her eyelashes like a lost puppy. "Fine, but one." The redhead gestured to the new guest as well. "Try one Jaune, freshly baked."

He picked up a cookie that was still warm to the touch. He took a modest bite as it started to melt in his mouth. _Easily the best cookie I've ever had._ "You made this?" He asked before another bite. The redhead nodded as he swallowed. "They're amazing."

Pyrrha smiled at the praise. "Thank you, I'm glad you like them. If you'd like, we can all sit down.

Yang wasted no time as she moved her way over to the chairs. "Dibs." She called on the red chair that had a foot rest with it. Jaune sat down beside her while he took note Pyrrha sat on the other side.

"You always claim that one."

Yang kicked her feet up with a smirk. "'Cause it's the best one." The two girls were talking when his ears perked up. He thought he had heard a door slam. Soon enough, a girl with long black hair and amber eyes came walking into view.

"BLAKEY!" Yang stood up and shouted as she held her arms out. _So this has to be Blake._

The two girls embraced wrapping their arms around one another. "Good to see you!" The blonde girl practically chirped.

"It's been like a month." The girl responded, "You act like it's been years." She said in a hushed but amused voice. Jaune couldn't help but smile at the irony that Yang said the same exact thing to Pyrrha's parents. "But you're right, it's good to see you too." She broke away, her amber eyes filled with genuine joy.

"Please, Blake, help yourself to anything." The redhead stood. "Oh yes!" She gestured to Jaune to come over. Jaune hoisted himself up, feeling a little awkward, as he shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to hand his trembling hands. "This is Jaune. A long lost friend of mine and Yang."

As he was being introduced, he stuck out his hand which the raven-haired girl accepted. "Nice to meet you." She said in a hushed tone that sounded distant, almost weary. He knew when he was being studied, but this was beyond studying, this was her almost interrogating him with her eyes as they narrowed slightly.

The raven haired girl studied him for a bit before accepting the hand. "You as well.'

"Well then… the only person we're missing is Ruby." Emerald eyes flashed over Yang who simply shrugged.

"Uncle Qrow isn't known for being on time with… well… anything."

Everyone returned to camping chairs, Jaune taking note of how the seating arrangement changed ever so slightly as Blake sat beside Pyrrha whether it was due to the fact that he was taking her usual spot beside Yang or that she didn't want to sit beside the stranger, he couldn't be sure. One thing was sure, he could definitely feel her eyes on him from time to time. Jaune sank into his chair listening to conversations.

"So Blake, how's the softball?" Yang asked.

The black-haired girl shrugged. "The usual… though I stretched something in my shoulder…" She said as she rubbed what Jaune assumed to be her sore spot.

"Does that mean you're out of the season?" Pyrrha asked with a hint of concern.

Blake took a sip of her water. "Doubtful, I'm out for a few practices though."

"Oh wow… that's a shame…" Pyrrha shook her head. The two girls were talking when he felt a poke on his shoulder. He looked over to see Yang leaning in

"You're supposed to be social…" _Well yeah… but all these people_ , he barely knew or just met. He simply nodded when he noticed that Blake was watching him with an ever raised eyebrow while she was talking with Pyrrha. "We're all friends here. Just relax." She patted him on the shoulder.

"So Jaune… tell us about yourself." Blake said in a hushed voice yet something seemed off with Blake as she stared at him intently.

He felt all eyes on him as he rubbed his arm nervously. He could talk to people, easily, but being put on the stage like this was uncomfortable, even if they were nice people. "Well… I'm afraid there isn't much to tell."

He received a light smack on the arm. "Oh come on…"

He inhaled sharply. "Yeah… alright. So I'm in marching band, I play the quads."

Pyrrha nodded, "he's pretty good too."

He nodded in appreciation of the compliment. "I think I'm pretty meh, but thanks. I also play a lot of video games… like a lot."

"He's damn good too." Yang reaffirmed

"High praise then." Pyrrha nodded with approval.

"Yeah… I mean besides that, there isn't much to tell." Jaune shrugged, hoping that the interrogation would stop. Blake studied him before attempting to ask another question when a door slam filled the air.

"Ruby," Blake said as she looked over only to be met with gothic dressed girl with a red hood who was walking over to them.

"Heya Rubes!" Yang eagerly waved.

The girl tapped her fingers anxiously "Hey guys… sorry I'm late, Mom was baking stuff."

The taller redhead stood up moving to the younger one's side and giving her a light hug. "It's no problem, you're not that late." Pyrrha said as she started walking back towards her seat. "I made some cookies for you." She added as she waved a hand in the direction of all of the treats on the table.

"Thank you," Ruby said quietly as she walked over to grab the plate of cookies and sit down next to Yang. She then took a bite of one of the cookies. "They're delicious!"

"Thank you." Pyrrha responded happily.

Yang looked around. "Well, everyone's here, so how about we start the fire?"

A chorus of assent was heard from the people as Yang happily ran to get the necessary materials to start a fire, while Pyrrha walked a few steps to the fire pit to ensure that the wood was set out and ready to be lit. The redhead nodded happily to herself as she realized that the small pile of wood in the pit was just perfect for starting a fire, and looking at the woodpile a short distance away from the fire pit revealed that there was plenty of larger logs to keep it going after it got started.

The other three waited in relative silence for Yang to return with some lighter fluid, a small stack of newspapers, and a lighter. The blonde then poured a large amount of the fluid over the small pile of wood in the fire pit, lit a couple of newspapers, and dropped them on the wood, causing a flame to sprout and start spreading to the wood. Pyrrha watched the flame intently until it grew large enough for her to put some larger pieces of wood on it. After she did so, she walked back to where everyone was seated with a happy smile on her face. "It should be good for a little bit, we'll have to put some bigger pieces of wood on it in a few minutes though."

"I'll keep an eye on it," Jaune volunteered. He hoped that if he was keeping an eye on the fire, it'd keep it from getting too awkward when he wasn't able to join the conversation with the others.

"Thank you, Jaune." Pyrrha said with a small smile as she reached toward the snack table to grab some chips.

Jaune watched as the group of girls started chatting and talking about what they've been doing since they last saw each other, which supposedly was only a week or two ago, but from the amount of stuff they had to say had to have been around a year or two ago. After a few minutes, he realized he wouldn't ever find an opportunity to join the conversation, and spent more focus on watching the fire, and occasionally putting more logs on the fire when it needed it.

As time passed, it started to get a little chilly, not too bad, but enough for it to be felt. As such, Pyrrha, Yang, and Blake all moved closer to the fire as they started to clump up, though Ruby seemed to be in the distance. He stood up and moved over towards Ruby or seemed to be watching him.

"Aren't you going to join them?" He asked as he sat on the cold grass beside Ruby.

Ruby looked back at him and seemed to debate whether or not she should give an answer. "I was going to the bathroom when they moved, and they're already talking again, I don't want to interrupt their conversation." She said meekly.

"Okay, let me rephrase." Jaune said in response. "Do you want to join them?" The red-tipped brunette nodded in response. "Then join them. They're your friends; they'll enjoy your company regardless of whether or not you'll be interrupting their conversation."

"Are you sure?" Ruby asked hesitantly. "They seem to really be enjoying themselves."

"Yes, I'm sure. You being a part of their conversation is more important than them not having it interrupted."

The small girl stared at Jaune, her bright silver eyes showing her obvious hesitance to believe him. She eventually gave up, but didn't move.

"You know," Jaune said with a sigh. "If I'm wrong, and you get yelled at, I'll give you permission to hit or slap me. Why are you so worried about this?" He asked.

"It's just, no matter how much we meet, I can't get over this feeling that I'm not actually supposed to be a part of the group. I don't want to be seen as the little kid or the third wheel."

"You know… I can relate." He said with a hint of sadness as Ruby looked at him, "I'm the youngest of seven sisters. I know what it's like to feel like the runt of the pack. I can say confidently, that you are most certainly not a runt."

Ruby gave a questioning look. "How can you be so sure? I mean look at them" She nodded towards the circle. "If I walk in, I'd be cutting in. They think that I'm just a needy little kid trying to fit in."

Jaune gave a slight chuckle as he watched the fire. "Yang always get super excited and happy when she talks about you." He nodded towards the small group. "Yeah, they are talking without you, but they're good friends. Sometimes you just need to give yourself a push. I know for a fact they would accept you, I mean, who wouldn't?"

Ruby seemed to think about what he said for a few seconds, before moving her chair forward to sit with her friends "Are you sure?" She asked hesitantly.

Jaune nodded resolutely, "Without a doubt."

She sat there for a few minutes without saying a word until she stood up and moved her chair closer to the fire, next to Pyrrha.

Jaune smiled to himself. Ruby wasn't a bad person, she obviously didn't trust or like him all that much, but couldn't say he didn't deserve it. Seeing that he was able to help her be happy, even if she shouldn't have needed the help, made him feel a tiny bit better about himself. He, himself, was content to be an outcast for this event, the group of friends in front of him had obviously known each other for a long while, and he didn't want to disrupt that at all, but Ruby shouldn't be an outcast. Eventually, Yang, Ruby, and Blake went over to get a bunch of snacks.

The next thing that caught his attention was when Pyrrha stood up and walked right up to him. "Hi, Jaune, sorry for not talking to you much. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing good. Taking care of the fire is actually fun, don't worry about it." Jaune replied easily, earning a disbelieving stare from the redhead in front of him. "Really, Pyrrha, don't worry about it. I'm not a part of this group of friends, and it'd only be awkward to try and force me into it."

"'They're your friends, they'll enjoy your company regardless'" Pyrrha quoted with a small smile on her face, causing Jaune to facepalm.

"She told you?"

"No," Pyrrha replied happily. "I heard you, and let me say, it applies to you too Jaune. I realize that Yang is the only one who really knows you, but I'd like to get to know my old friend some more, and Blake and Ruby don't dislike you, though Blake might seem that way at times."

"Maybe some other time?" Jaune asked, hoping that she'd let him off just this once.

"At least tell me how you've been," she said, her emerald green eyes stating that she wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.

"I've been good. School and band and stuff mostly. Mrs. Branwen decided to start trying to have a student lead percussion, and the student who got the role doesn't like me too much, but it's not that much of a big deal."

"I'm sorry to hear she doesn't like you," Pyrrha said with a trace of sadness in her voice.

Jaune nodded absentmindedly. Of course, it was a big deal, it weighed him down for months. However, at times, there are moments that you just don't care anymore. "Yeah… it's whatever." Sadness tinged his voice.

"Was she special to you?" Pyrrha asked hesitantly. "If you don't mind me asking."

 _Of course she was._ "No, just really good friends, but that's the past, we should focus on the now, right?" He said with a fond smile.

She returned the smile. "That's right. I'm going to rejoin the others, feel free to join us if you want." With that said, she walked back to her seat and started chatting with the others again. He watched as his host went back to the small group where Ruby seemed to fit in. He watched as the younger girl was giggling, in which he wouldn't lie, was kind of cute.

He could see her silver eyes, occasionally drifting over to him, almost asking for him to join in. _But our cases are different. Ruby knew them growing up, I'm a literal stranger._ He thought to himself as he poked the fire. "WE NEED MORE S'MORES!" He heard Yang practically shout at the top of her lungs.

He could see Pyrrha give a warm, yet almost saddened expression which forced his hand. He may not feel comfortable with it, but he decided to put on his big boy pants for Pyrrha's sake. He would make an effort. He reluctantly stood up, making his way over to the table where everyone was gathering their pokers, shoving marshmallows on the end. "Hey there buddy!" Yang offered him a poker with a marshmallow on the end. "Hope you like s'mores."

He took the poker in his hand. "Of course, who wouldn't."

"Freaks." Blake summed up with one word.

"Blake!" Pyrrha lightly chastised. "Don't be so rude."

"It's true." The raven-haired girl shrugged as she picked off the white puff of sweetness and shoved it in her mouth, earning the laughter of the redhead.

Ruby shook her with an almost exasperated look, "You know you're supposed to roast them first, right?"

Blake nodded as she ate another one, "Can't help it." She said with a mouth full of marshmallow. Jaune, deciding to take her advice, stuffed his own mouth with a marshmallow. "See," Blake gestured over at him, "he gets it."

"Oh my gosh, you two are the worst," Yang said as she stuffed her own mouth.

The redhead simply shrugged and followed everyone else. Ruby shook her head and stuffed three in her mouth earning laughter from everyone else.

The night went well. Jaune felt more and more at ease as he started to feel at ease. "So there I was sitting, just minding my business when the girl tripped, dumping her tomato soup on me…. Needless to say, when it's summer and there is no A/C in the school, I was smelling pretty ripe." Jaune nodded as he recalled that particular incident

"Ewwwwww." Ruby practically squirmed.

"Yeah… it was kind of bad, even with clothes from the nurse, which never fit I might add."

"True that." Yang agreed.

"Yeah… well, Mr. Branwen was so kind enough to allow me to "fix the drums" in the storage room during band that day… Needless to say, I had to throw out my Star War shirt out."

"What a shame." Blake shook her head.

"A shame…" Pyrrha agreed. "Yang, you remember when Sky dumped that entire jar of sap on my hair?"

Jaune blinked, almost startled. ' _Why would someone do that such a kind-hearted person? '_

 _Weiss._

' _No. that's in the past.'_

"Why though?" He asked

"Kid's a dick." Yang answered, "and yeah, I do."

Ruby gasped, "Yang! Language!" Which earned a chuckle from Blake.

Yang shrugged, giving an innocent smile, " Sorry cous."

"Well…" Pyrrha continued, "he had feelings for me that I couldn't return."

Jaune's eyes widened. Apparently, Newport School was filled with a bunch of assholes. "Are you kidding me?" He shook his head

Her green eyes told him the truth as she shook her head. "I'm afraid not. We were on a biology field trip where we were supposed to collect jars of sap. He approached from behind and…"

Jaune gave her a sympathetic look, "I'm sorry about that."

Pyrrha chuckled, "Oh don't be. He learned the hard way not to mess with me…" causing Jaune to give a questioning glance.

"Blake and Yang…" Ruby clarified, causing only more confusion.

"Oh yeah… I turned him into a bloody pulp." She said proudly as she cracked her knuckles with a cheeky grin. "Broke his nose, gave him two black eyes. My mom was pretty angry about me getting suspended until I explained everything. She said I left him off easy but told me never to do it again cause it could have " Jaune nodded approvingly. "Though Blake was a bit more savage…"

 _If Yang beat the snot out of the kid, what could be worse?_ "I hacked his Facebook account." She shrugged nonchalantly, "I might have posted less than favorable material… needless to say he's still the laughing stock of school."

 _Damn._ "Isn't that kind of illegal?"

"If you're caught." She smirked. "By the way, not a word to anyone, they still don't know."

Jaune nodded reassuringly. "Secret is safe with me." Which Blake smiled appreciatively. He turned to face Pyrrha. "You got some good friends looking out for you."

Pyrrha smiled. "I do, and you're part of it too." She looked at everyone "Right?"

Yang immediately gave two thumbs up. Ruby nodded shyly. Pyrrha's answer was already given. Blake looked him over to the point where he thought she would say no. She gave a small smile. "Yeah."

Jaune felt as if a large weight was lifted off his shoulder. "Thanks guys… it means a lot."

* * *

As the dragged on, people started to drift asleep. Oddly enough, Yang was the first one to go down. She was lightly snoring, which was kind of cute, he wouldn't lie. At that point Pyrrha got some blankets, draped one over the sleeping Yang, who apparently slept like a rock. She didn't stir one bit as the redhead practically tucked her in. "She's always been like that. She can literally sleep through anything sometimes."

Next was Blake, who slowly drifted about the same time as Pyrrha.

The last two were Ruby and himself. "Hey…" Ruby whispered as both of them looked up at the stars.

"What's up?" He asked.

"I just wanted to say thanks… for talking to me."

Jaune felt his eyes get heavier and heavier. "Yeah, no problem Ruby."

"I know this kind of sounds weird, but do you wanna be friends?"

He couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. "We… were friends since" He let out yawn. "The day we met."

"You know, you aren't such a bad guy." Was the last thing he heard. One image popped in his mind crystal clear, _Weiss._

* * *

The two made it back to their house relatively drained from last night. "Got two dead ones." Raven announced as she walked in followed by two very sleep deprived teenagers.

Tai turned to see them shuffle in. "You're right, if I didn't know better, I would say they didn't get any sleep." Only earning mutterings from the two.

"Go on you two, get some sleep. I'll have something ready for when you are more… alive."

Jaune followed Yang upstairs, feeling his back crack every which way. L _awn chairs are not beds,_ he thought to himself as he reached the top of the stairs.

Yang was by her door when she turned, "I was wondering when you were going to open up."

Jaune sleep deprived eyes blinked, "What do you mean?"

"Seeing you care free, just being open, you know? It was nice." She smiled as she hugged him, "Thanks for talking to Ruby. What you actually said, worked." She broke away with a fond smile. "I've been trying to get her to open up around Blake and Pyrrha, but she just wouldn't."

Jaune scratched the back of his head, "Sometimes, it takes an outsider's perspective."

Yang nodded as she let out a small yawn, "Well, I'm going to catch up on my beauty sleep, I'll see ya in a bit."

"Yeah, night, Yang."

* * *

 _Hope. Such a small word for probably one of the greatest desires of the human. What is hope? Hope is the need to cross no man's land uninjured. Hope is to cross the Red Sea before the Pharaoh catches you. Hope is to pass the test that you need to ace to get into college. Hope is simply the desired outcome._

 _Yet the seems too robotic. It seems too bland. Hope is what your soul craves, what you hunger for deep down._

 _What did I hope? To be normal in a unnormal environment. To have a stable environment. To separate home self with school self. Did I get any of these? Looking back, I can say no._

 _However, I found something out about hope. We often desire things, but those are sometimes, if not always, superficial desires, and I don't mean that lightheartedly. I found that there is another, far more base desire, that we aren't aware of that guides our actions. For me, it was the desire of a group of people that cared about me. The hope of being able to establish relationships that can transcend blood and family, not sound cliche, but almost spiritual connection._

 _There are points where friendship can transcend the word. Friendship does an injustice to the description, the emotions, the connection. No, this an entirely different beast altogether. I was able to form these connections with a very select group of people. To those people, I owe them everything._

 _That bonfire was a culmination of a great many things. I finally reached the end of the sea. I made into the other trench, safe and sound. I aced that test._

 _At what cost though? Nothing is free in this world, that is a universal truth. Everything has a fundamental cost. I suffered a great many trials, tribulations. People got hurt because of me, emotionally and physically. I was beaten and battered, literally at times. I wanted it to stop. There came a moment where I gave up hope._

 _It is at those moments that I rediscovered hope. Maybe, I could believe, through the help of others, that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Those same people become your strongest ally. For through that tunnel, there will be roadblocks, mountains that insurmountable._

 _One stick is easy to break. A group of sticks is unconquerable._

* * *

 **HI GUYS!**

 **Been awhile? Cause for me, it has been. So that's it! That's the official end of season 1!**

 **I know this is going to sound weird, but Season 2 will be picking up on the tail end of summer during band camp where we'll get to see the "new" Weiss. Besides that, let's get into the chapter. So Sky Lark got destroyed... hard... You don't mess with Pyrrha and the girls... at all. ever. end of story. RIP. Though we got see some Ruby and Jaune where Ruby is starting to open up and become more receptive towards Jaune.**

 **Also... Jaune is coming out of his shell a weee bit, props to you man. Props to you.**

 **Though, honestly, thoughts on Blake? I know she didn't talk that much, but I kind think of her as the like quiet girl that you don't mess with or she hacks all your crap. I know Jaune and Blake didn't interact that much, but I figured she would be more reserved and... suspicious... I wonder why.**

 **So I got a question... What did you guys think of the chapter! Let me know! Love to hear all of your thoughts, reactions, questions, predictions, any and all! I love to hear from all of you.**

 **REVIEWS!**

 **Yukas: My FRIEND! IT HAS BEEN VERY LONG TIME! I hope this thing between Jaune and Weiss gets resolved too :( It hurts seeing it. Though Blake... what do you think of Blake? Does this version of Blake meet your approval? and shipping ;) Idk lol.**

 **Cpt. Lynx: That whitexknight ship was sunk pretty savagely, huh? Though you're right, it does open more doors... or does it...? DUN DUNNN DUNNNNNN! What do you think of Blake though? And sun? I have no idea xD Already a year? Sheesh... it feels like yesterday lol.**

 **Xerzo. Ouch dude, instruments tend to be pretty expensive lol... You have an ability my friend, I can't sing for shit. I am not devious... well... maybe a little... There was that whole PyrrhaxCardin joke lololol... what a meme... Will things get worse? Maybe... will things steady out now? who knows? seems like things are starting to look up for him. OH! Don't worry! I have plans for Jaune's father, no comments though!**

 **Pyancakery: Hey there! Welcome to the bandwagon! I'm glad you could join us on this little story! Hopefully this chapter was to your liking... I have that habit of keeping people guessing :) Though this Jaune forcing himself to stay away from Weiss won't last forever, but who knows.**

 **MorgothII: Hey there, glad you like the chapter, hopefully you liked the chapter.**

 **Guest: No problem, hopefully, you enjoyed!**

 **Alright guys! So Season 2 is coming... brace yourselves... we're going to be seeing old faces, things will reach a breaking point, relationships will be tested! friendships forged through fires of trial! This arc will be heart pounder let me tell you. Jobs, careers, and lives will be on the line! Yet during stressful times, yet during stressful times, people rely on others to help them through the trials. Psht... I'm being overdramatic... or am I...? Idk, guess we'll find out together lol xD.**

 **Let me know what you guys think!**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Lordxsauron**


	21. Chapter 21: A Small Misunderstanding

**Chapter 21: A Small Misunderstanding**

 **Small A/N 1: Battery is a percussion term referring to bass drum, snare, and quads.**

 **Small A/N 2: So I try my very hardest to respond to reviews in ANs and last chapter I left out two reviews which I feel really bad about. I owe an apology to AlNation, my b mate and Jiore, sorry my friend. I did a derp lol.**

* * *

 _I see the look on your face. You ask why I'm telling you this? The big question: so what? Why should you care? The big so what?_

 _This isn't simply a tale of how one man was broken only to be rebuilt. Neither is this a love story. No this is so much bigger than you and me._

 _This is a story about a web. This is about choice. People say that life is a simple timeline. That is inherently wrong. The fundamental reality is that life is a web. Everything is interconnected, whether we can see it directly or indirectly; the web connects the past, present, and future, The choices we make influence our current time as well as the future, yet our choices are influenced by past events. This is one fundamental truth. The past shapes the future just as the future shapes how we live in the present as well as how we interpret the past._

 _However, we are never in our own disconnected webs. The complete opposite, our webs are interconnected. What we decide to do influences others and their own webs. Our choices influence not only ourselves but others. These decisions echo throughout the web in innumerable and incalculable ways. To believe that we have figured out a predetermined outcome is simply impossible and foolish._

 _The actions one influence the future or present of another as well as yourself._

 _Ahh… there it is, you are rolling your eyes. Who cares right? Remember though, one simple act of kindness to ripple into a tidal wave. Conversely, one harmful action can tectonic shift. This is the fundamental and inescapable truth I have discovered reflecting and pondering my life and my actions._

 _My actions, thoughts, and feelings impacted those around in ways I couldn't imagine. That fate filled day where I called for help and I received help ultimately rippled in ways unimaginable. The bonfire, how could imagine I made lifelong friends? Sophomore year, homecoming football game, The story leaking out, The spring formal. All of these affected shook me to the core for good or bad that year. They shaped my interactions with others just as much it would influence what happens junior and senior year._

 _One cannot predict the outcome of our choices, but one can see the connections through the lens of one life. But was is the end result? Is there even an end result of these webs? Well… we'll have to be patient and let the story tell itself._

* * *

Day three of marching band camp. It just dragged on and on and on and on. "My feet…" Jaune collapsed on the stage, instantly letting out a sigh of relief from being off of them.

"My back…." Cardin fell down beside him.

"My head…" Russell fell behind them.

"You all should be getting some of this fruit; you'll need to keep up your energy. We aren't even close to finishing today." Raven said as she crunched into an apple. Band Camp… something designed to be cliche… but something so tiring and exhausting.

Ironically, band camp wasn't a camp. It was a week, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 8 PM of nonstop marching, playing, memorization, and drudgery that would break a weaker person. The first day wasn't too bad, the second day, you start to feel it in your muscles. The third day you feel like a zombie. The fourth day you go insane, the fifth day, you end up in hell.

They were only on day three. The nice thing was that Percussion didn't have to spend the long mornings roasting outside memorizing field show marching. Since the Percussion didn't march in the show and well Raven was kind of awesome, she managed to convince her brother that their time would be better used in the cool air conditioned middle school, the high school was out of the question due to a lack of air conditioning. The trade off was that they had to work, and Raven made sure of that.

An hour of warm-ups which were rather intensive and an hour and a half of show music made Jaune's head feel like mush. "So Jaune." The blonde boy sat up intensively. "If you could take the Battery to the band room and work on the Ballad? I'll work with Weiss."

He looked at the two other boys who were out of it. It should be doable. "Sure can." He noticed Weiss hadn't even acknowledged any of them; she had only done so to issue commands and orders, something that earned the scorn and resentment of being ordered around.

 _They'll get over it… hopefully._ He picked himself up moving over to the tray where Raven and Weiss sat. He saw something that caught his eye. Something green filled with a great many black specs.

He picked it up and took a bite out of the odd green fruit to realize that he was practically in love with it. To his delight, he found more and more earning a raised eyebrow from the white-haired girl. He paid her no mind as he continued to hunt the elusive green fruits. "Jaune, you are probably the weirdest band kid I taught," Raven muttered as she watched him. "Not once have I seen someone hunt for all of the kiwis on the tray."

 _Well I'm just a potato…_. he gave an inward chuckle. How could he not have guessed? Flipping Kiwis... he was such an idiot... Though he did make a promise to himself, _After band camp, I need to ask Raven to buy more of them._

He shrugged eating his eighth wedge of kiwi. "It's good." He smiled as plopped in a ninth earning a shake of the head from Raven. Cardin and Russell made their way over to the tray and picked out their fruits. _Shocking that they even eat fruit._ He noted as Cardin picked up a piece of watermelon as Russell picked up a vine of grapes.

After everyone had finished their snacks, Raven stood up. "Well… back to the old grind," Which earned a groan from everyone. "Now… now… we all can't have nice things…". She said with a smirk as she moved to the xylophone, grabbing four mallets. She formed a 'V' in each hand as she started tap all four 'G's, "Lets go people. Enough laziness."

The blonde hoisted himself up, grabbing his tenors as the other two boys grabbed their own instruments.

As they made their way into the middle school band room, Cardin immediately made his way to the office chair that was used by the director. "Oh that's the ticket." He sighed in contentment as he kicked his legs up on the podium.

"Five more minutes." Jaune looked at the clock, "or Raven will get suspicious."

* * *

Hearing the band room door close behind the boys, Raven put down her mallets. She sat on the stage as picked up another apple and took a bite. "Relax Weiss, it's been a long week, and we need to save up energy." She nodded towards the band room. "I can bet that they are doing the same thing."

Weiss reluctantly put her mallets down as Raven patted the stage beside her. Weiss narrowed her eyes, but she trusted Raven, one of the very few people that hadn't betrayed her. A list that was at one point long, but became increasingly shorter and shorter. It now only had four people: Winter, Raven, Velvet, and Neptune.

She lifted herself up, re-adjusting her skirt. Raven leaned back, laying down the stage and stretching her arms. Weiss looked around the cafeteria awkwardly. *THUD. .thud.*. The cafeteria echoed from the the playing of Battery Percussion. "Shouldn't we start playing?" Weiss asked.

The raven-haired woman opened one crimson eye as she waved off her concern. "Being with the instructor comes with some benefits." She lifted herself up and turned to face her, sitting Indian style. "I want to talk to you."

Weiss gulped as she could feel her hand tremble slightly. "Did I do something wrong?" She asked hesitantly

Her teacher shook her head and hands. "No, consider this more…" she tapped her chin, "of a check up. See how things are with you and the percussion."

Weiss narrowed her eyes. _She doesn't think I'm a_ _good leader._ "Mrs. Branwen-"

"Raven." She corrected

"Raven… I can lead Percussion. You gave me the responsibility to lead, and lead I will."

Raven seemed to ponder the statement. "I'm not questioning your ability…. I care about all of you, and I just want to get a sense of where we are all at."

Weiss nodded, letting her guard down. She was one to take challenges seriously. But she couldn't stand people second guessing like Jaune. "For the most part they listen to me, but I know they hate it."

Raven raised an eyebrow, "Did they do anything?"

 _Besides hating my guts… no. But they will. Jaune will probably join in as well._ "No, ma'am, everything is fine."

Raven nodded slowly as she thought to herself. "Well… if anything comes up, you can talk to me. You'll have my confidence."

Usually, Weiss wasn't open with her feelings yet this was something she bottled up for too long. "What if I'm supposed to lead someone who I used to be close with. Now they want nothing to do with me?"

The woman tapped her chin as she thought. Before exploring this, she asked, "Who?" Though she had a pretty good idea. The white-haired girl avoided eye contact as she picked up a strawberry, taking a bit from the sweet red berry. "Alright…." Raven said drawing the word out. "A hypothetical situation then…"

Weiss nodded thankful that her teacher understood the difficult position. "We… hurt each other." She finished her strawberry looking across the cafeteria and outside the large glass planes that overlooked the football stadium and the farmlands beyond. Her confident exterior that she tried to build all summer for seeing Jaune started to crack. "I just… don't know what to do."

Raven sat cross-legged as she intertwined her fingers, listening intently. "What do you want?"

Weiss inhaled sharply turning to face the woman. "I understand things won't ever go back to what they used to be. I've accepted that and he has as well."

Raven nodded as she tried to piece things together. "So… are you mad at this certain hypothetical person…"

"Yes…" Weiss instantly answered though she second guessed herself. _Yes. I am. He ditched. He cut all ties with me over nothing. Friends are supposed to help each other. Friends are supposed to talk to each other if they have a disagreement._ "No." _Jaune, despite what he did, was a good guy._ She recalled how he gave his own sweater up for her. How she drifted asleep on his shoulder. " _..._ Maybe…" She bit her lip in frustration.

Raven nodded, still not knowing the full context. "Well… speaking from personal experience, things usually don't go back to normal. Things can get worse or better, but never back to normal."

She didn't understand what that even meant. "So what do I do?"

"Treat him like an equal. If things get better, great, if they don't, they don't. At least you didn't treat him differently."

 _Maybe that was the problem._ Weiss thought to herself. _He…. he… admitted his feelings…_ She closed her eyes, shaking her head. Why did things have to be so complicated? She was loyal to Neptune though. He was a good guy, who never did her any harm.

Sure he got angry when she mentioned Jaune around him. Mentioned what he was doing to her. It got so bad they had a fight over it. They managed to patch things up, but things still got tense to the point where she doesn't mention the name around Neptune.

"Come on." Raven leapt off the stage heading over to the xylophone. "Let's get some work done." Weiss nodded, thankful for the opportunity to, for a brief moment, forget all of this.

* * *

Jaune looked up at the clock 11:30. Lunch was coming soon. "One more rep, guys?" Cardin and Russell nodded without any disagreement. "Set." Jaune called.

Everyone snapped to attention, including Jaune as he tapped off.

.Top,high,high,roll to medium,zap,rimshot on low drums. He marched in place as Cardin and Russell played their own part.

They helicoptered off one another off one another. Cardin tapped a rhythm as Russell repeated it slightly heavier, Cardin heavier than Russell, Russell heavier than Cardin. Till it was a loud rumble which clicked his sticks. Dap. Dap. DAPDAPDAP. Click. Click. SHOT! Battery marched in place for four beats shouting " . ."

Click! This time they helicoptered up the scale until they could barely be heard. 4. 3. 2. 1.

TAP! Everyone snapped to attention.

"At ease." Jaune said with a hint of pride as he set his drum down. "I think we'll call it there."

"Good," Cardin stretched after booting down his bass, "I'm starving."

"Let's get some grub." The green mohawk boy suggested. Jaune couldn't disagree with either of them, he was pretty hungry himself, but nothing was as comparable as being able to sit down.

He followed them through the band room doors that that connected to the cafeteria. The three boys could hear Weiss playing the vibraphone. Cardin looked back with a sinister grin that could only mean one thing.

Suddenly, the large boy slammed open the door causing Weiss hit several wrong notes, ruining her streak. _Wow that's kind of harsh…_ The door slammed shut in front of Jaune, and he decided to do the sensible thing, opening it quietly. He may not be on good terms with Weiss but there was no need to be a douche.

"Mr. Winchester," Raven said lowly. "Was that necessary?"

Cardin feigned a look of guilt, "Sorry Mrs. Branwen, won't happen again."

"Good… if it does I'll have you march around the school for two hours, are we clear?"

He shook his head, "Yes ma'am."

"Good, Weiss, get some lunch, it was a good run." Raven said as she closed her binder, still glaring at Cardin. The three boys got their plates and loaded them brimming with burgers, chips, and pasta salad. He took a seat by where Cardin and Russell sat. His own plate was modest, a simple hotdog and a few chips.

"Did you see that glare?" Cardin chuckled himself.

Russell busted up laughing. "Dude, you screwed her up good. " Jaune tuned them in and out as he continued to eat his lunch as other band kids filed in. He looked up to see Weiss on the other side of the cafeteria, alone. He felt bad that her run was so completely disrupted.

"Maybe you shouldn't do that again…" Jaune said as he went back to eating as the other two boys looked at him questioningly.

"How do you mean?" Russell asked.

"Well… you two are already on Raven's watchlist, so whatever you do, she'll suspect something." Jaune said as he took a bite from his hotdog. He felt a large hand on his back slap him to the point that his food almost came out.

"Jauney! You're so clever! We can't do anything…. but you can!"

That almost caused him to cough his food out. "M-m-me?" He shot his two friends a confused look. "N-n-no…. I didn't mean it like that..."

The green mohawk looked at him with pleading eyes. "Come on, man. Weiss ditched you. She left you behind." _The irony of that statement._ "She chose that Neptune douche over you." He gestured his hands towards him. "You… of all people. We tried to get you together…."

Silence befell the table as Jaune tried to comprehend that statement. He tried to comprehend the meaning of that sentence…. His blue eyes narrowed as he shot them a withering look. "What…? What do you mean…?"

The other two boys looked at one another, Russell shrugging before Cardin answered. "You know…. That night where we dumped water on Weiss. We thought she would get friendly towards you…." He shot Jaune a smile. "It seemed to work."

Jaune's lighthearted mood was instantly replaced. _The reason why they were dicks to her was to make her get closer to me? …. No…. no, that's impossible. They didn't like her because she was a stuck up b…. No. No. No._

Even still, whether on purpose or circumstance, it caused him to develop feelings for Weiss, for better or ill. "She tossed your feelings away, man… Don't you want to get even?" Cardin egged him on. Jaune glared at him causing the boy to raise his hands defensively. "Hey man, I'm just pointing out the facts right here…"

 _Pointing out the facts. Pointing out the facts._ What were the facts? She did ditch me. She never even gave me a chance. "Dude…. Please tell me you still don't have feelings for her…" He heard Russell say out loud. _I still have feelings for her. This needs to stop. Now._ He looked up to see Weiss was now sitting with Velvet and Coco and the rest of the band kids. "Not anymore." The blonde boy snarled.

In reality, he would always have feelings for the girl and he hated it. What Cardin and Russell said made more and more sense to him the more they brought it up, the more it made sense to him. Maybe… just maybe… this was a blessing in disguise. Here was a chance for him to completely bury the past and move on fully. _Enough living in the past._ He reassured himself. "You guys are right." He nodded in agreement. "I'm in."

At that moment, he was anointed in the crusade against Weiss. It was nothing personal… well, in reality, it was very personal. He needed to purge himself of these feelings. He would do this his way though. Jaune didn't want to end up on Raven's radar and if Cardin and Russell were willing to be targeted, that was fine with him. He picked up a plastic steak knife and stuffed it in his pocket. _Don't do this. You are better than this._

He internally scoffed. No. No, he wasn't. The only thing he wanted was a completely clean slate and these feelings, however weak they were, needed to go. "Hey, I'm going to go to the bathroom. You guys wanna jam?"

"Sure."

"Totally."

 _Don't do this._ He stood up as he walked past all the other band kids who were carrying on in the side cafeteria. He noted how Weiss locked eyes with him. For once, he didn't back down. He felt his stomach grow colder and colder with growing resentment. She was the one who broke contact as Velvet got her attention. He continued on his way, noting the location of band parents and most importantly Qrow and Raven. Both sat at the very end of the cafeteria, eating their own lunches, back towards the rest of the cafeteria. They looked at him with a smile which he returned innocently enough.

Once he was away from them, the smile quickly faded away, leaving a very serious Jaune. He knew that Cardin and Russell were following him. "Russell… go in the band and start to warm up. Cardin, keep look out." The boys gave him a questioning glance which only earned a harder look. "Got it."

 _You can go back; you don't have to do this._

Jaune approached the vibraphone looking around the corner. No one was watching, the coast was clear. Soon enough, Russell could be heard tapping away creating a likely cover story. Jaune took out the plastic knife and plucked the instrument string. He immediately started to saw through the string until the tension was too strong and the string snapped apart.

An odd feeling overswept Jaune as he walked towards the bathroom. "Go… I'll be there in a second." He told Cardin who had a large grin on his face.

Once the bathroom, he turned the faucet on as he looked at himself in the mirror. Cutting that string was something more than just ruining an instrument. He felt lighter, as if he had cut away a part of himself he no longer wanted to deal with. He felt lighter, yet… something still nagged at him. _You're falling._

' _I'm liberating myself. I'm freeing myself from someone who was just using me.'_

 _She wasn't using you; she just wanted to be friends._

' _Yeah, well maybe she shouldn't have stomped on my heart.'_

 _You didn't do the same exact thing?_

He grunted as he stared at himself. His blonde hair was caked in sweat from morning marching. He couldn't look himself in the mirror anymore. "It was her fault. She should have reached out." He told himself.

 _She did._

' _No. No. No. No. No.'_ He tossed the knife in the trash can, trying to reassure himself. He walked down the hallway and back into the banddroom. Jaune could hear Cardin and Russell groove as he walked in swaying to the beat. "There's the troll." Cardin as he bobbed to the beat.

Jaune tossed him a thumbs up as Russell laughed. He picked up his tenors. "Let's go." Russell cheered as Jaune clicked to the beat. Soon he found himself joining into the impromptu beat, playing a mad solo as Cardin and Russell cheered.

He tossed his stick up in the air in mid solo. It was as if time had slowed; he watched the stick come back down as he caught it, twirling it in his hand smashing it down to end the beat.

* * *

The three of them were jamming for about an hour until the door slammed open. There stood Weiss glaring at the three of them. She apparently was shouting but Jaune couldn't hear a word she was saying. She shot him a glare as he rolled his eyes. He marched in front of the other two holding up his sticks in an 'X.'

After their run through, the three boys snapped to attention. "At ease," Jaune called out.

"Who did it?" The white-haired girl demand as she stomped her foot on the ground.

Russell shot her look as if she were a crazy woman. "What are you talking about it, princess?"

Weiss stormed in standing in front of the green mohawk boy, the only thing separating the two was his drum. "You know what I'm talking about!" She shot a look between Cardin and Jaune. "One of you cut the string to my vibraphone."

Jaune sighed as he unharnessed himself. "Weiss, we were in the middle of practicing and you barge in here…"

She shot him a hard glare as she pointed at the three of them. "You did the same thing to me!"

"At least we are good enough not to get sidetracked," Cardin snickered

Even Jaune couldn't help but to smile at the offhand remark as she stomped her foot. "How dare you! I bet it was you." She pointed at Cardin.

"As if. I wouldn't be caught near your shitty instrument." Cardin spat back.

"Because of one of you, we can't practice. Raven had to go down to the high school and pick up some string."

Jaune cleared his throat to get Weiss' attention, "You can't practice, but we can." Jaune clarified

"No, that isn't fair! You did this to me!"

Jaune sighed as he walked out of the band room followed by everyone. He walked over to the vibraphone plucking at the string. He saw where the cord "snapped." He looked up with a slightly annoyed expression. "Did you check to see if there was any damage this morning?" He asked if she were a child.

"No, but-"

"You didn't check your equipment, and it broke. It happens." He looked at his leader. "a decent leader would take responsibility for their own mistakes before placing blame on others. Just saying."

A silence fell upon the cafeteria. He couldn't tell the look on Weiss' face, a look of hurt and fury. Cardin and Russell did their best to suppress their giggles.

With that Jaune dropped the string on the ground and walked past his supposed leader. He couldn't hold in the smirk at this point as walked back into the band room with Cardin and Russell following behind.

"Dude how did you keep a straight face?" Russell gave him a shake on the shoulder.

"You should be a professional actor!" Cardin chimed in with a chuckle.

Jaune gave a casual shrug of the shoulders, still putting on a show. "A lot of practice." Yet the other two boys didn't understand the meaning or weight behind those four words.

* * *

Weiss listened as the boys pounded away on their drums as if they were a bunch of monkeys. She could feel her blood boiling as the cafeteria was vibrated ever so lightly from the drums. "Neanderthals" Weiss sighed as she sat on the stage.

Jaune…. Jaune…. He challenged her authority. She knew, _knew,_ that someone cut the string. Though Jaune just completely disregarded it. More so, he made her look like an idiot. "Sorry, it took me so long." Raven walked in with her bag, putting it down on the stage. She pulled a large reel of string.

Weiss eased herself off the stage, still in a sour mood. She decided to keep her suspicions to herself. As much as she hated to admit it, Jaune was right. "Don't worry about it, Weiss. These kinds of things happen."

She could only nod as she watched Raven pulled the thread until it was in her hand. She hesitated for a moment inspection the end snapped ends of the string. Usually, they would be frayed… Raven thought to herself as she narrowed her red eyes.

The woman looked over to see Weiss had already removed the string from the xylophone. "Weiss…"

the girl looked up, feeling a brief moment of hesitation at her name being drawn out. "Raven?"

"Did you notice anything off with your instrument before lunch? Did it sound off at all?"

Weiss shook her head, "Sounded completely normal."

She watched as her instructor return her eyes back to the string before tossing it on the stage.

Weiss went back to restringing the xylophone and Raven, the vibraphone. It was a mundane task that didn't require a lot of thought as she threaded each note. The only thing on her mind was her section was in revolt against her. She didn't believe Jaune cut the string, but Cardin or Russell wouldn't have acted so boldly without his support or, at the very least, his neutrality. Though, his actions proved that he was no longer sitting on the fence.

War was declared. This time, she would fight back. She would show them what it meant to be a Schnee.

* * *

Jaune climbed out of the car. It was about 9:30, they would stay until 9 to make sure everyone left. The car ride itself was pretty quiet, thankfully. He had a lot of time to think.

"Jaune…" He turned to face Raven with a questioning look. "Is everything alright in Percussion?" She asked innocently enough."I'm not asking as an instructor or teacher, just as a friend."

That meant a lot to the blonde boy. The fact she was asking, not demanding, asking as a friend, not as someone with higher authority. He felt obligated, in honest, compelled to tell her. He owed this woman his life and more. He would do anything for her. Yet… this was a time to make himself better. A lie for the betterment of oneself may be a good thing. This was between him and Weiss and he preferred not to get the people he truly cared about involved.

"No," Jaune shrugged innocently, "I mostly keep to myself while the others are fighting." He could see her thinking as she looked him over before nodding.

"Well if anything is going on, I'm here for you as a teacher and as a friend. If you ever want to talk about Weiss…"

Jaune blIckes. _How… How… What else does she know? "_ I may not like her…". He was going to feel horrible for what he is about to do, to say, "...but when it comes to the band, I will be professional."

With that Jaune opened the door and held it open as Raven placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad to hear it." _God damn it._ He mentally screamed. "Still, I'm here if you just want to talk." What he would do just to beat his head in right now.

"Thank you, Raven." The blonde boy smiled, "it means a lot." Though he didn't know if he could ever follow up on that request.

Raven dropped her bag out in the hallway as both of them kicked their shoes off, both letting out sighs of relief. "Well look at what the cat… or bird dragged in" Taiyang popped his head around the corner with a large grin.

"Shut it." His wife glared as he held up his hands defensively. She turned to Jaune, "Do you want anything?"

He stretched his arms letting out a loud yawn, "No, I think I'm…." He let out another yawn. "Going to call it a night."

"Night, Jaune," Taiyang called from the living room.

"See you bright and early…" Raven let out an exhausted sigh.

"Yeah… don't remind me…" Jaune mumbled earning a small chuckle from the woman. He climbed the stairs, his muscles and mind both numb from mental and physical exhaustion. He found his door and opened just as Yang looked over from her opened door.

He collapsed on his bed as Yang got up from her own bed and gave a knock on his doorway. Without looking, Jaune waved her in as she moved to his computer chair, kicking her feet up on his bed. This was the typical ritual after a band camp day or when they weren't chilling. They always managed to have a small amount of time to enjoy each other's company. "So how was it?" Yang asked with a slight tone of concern.

Jaune propped himself up with his elbows looking at his fellow blonde, "Yang, am I jerk?"

Immediately Yang sat up cracking knuckles, "Who's been talking shit?"

Jaune couldn't help but laugh, "No… no, nothing like that. Am I jerk though?"

Yang immediately shook her head and crossed her arms, "If being a jerk means helping my cous and being a really good friend, then yeah."

Jaune laid back down in his bed, looking up at the ceiling. "What if I was being a jerk to someone you didn't know, would you still wanna be my friend?"

"Well, I know you, and you are a pretty nice guy. But if you were being a dickhead to some stranger, I wouldn't have a problem with it." She rolled her chair back to his side, poking him in the side, "Though, I would want to know why."

Jaune exhaled slowly feeling not as guilty. It wasn't a free pass, but as long as he still had the friendship of Yang and her group of friends, that's all that matters. He felt another poke in the side causing him to look at the blonde, "Spill the beans."

"Would look at that…" he swiped her finger away, "I don't have any beans to spill."

Yang smirked, "You know… I could just run and grab a can of baked beans and just dump them on you… You'd have plenty of beans then…"

Jaune shot her back with a sinister smile, "and I can just dump bottle of chocolate syrup on your hair."

She gasped, "You wouldn't dare!"

He shrugged, "Try me."

With that, both of them laughed as Yang gave a light shove. She stood up, heading out of his bedroom. "Night." She said

"Goodnight." He returned as Yang closed the door behind her.

* * *

 _War. War has casualties. Even war for a good cause is still horrible. War causes pain, misery, destruction. No matter how we spin, war causes loss._

 _Now, I never joined the military, I never fought on the front lines. I know not the rigors of combat. However, I do know one thing. Wars are caused by_ _misunderstandings or a breakdown in communication_

 _War is simply the breakdown of communication_

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hey guys!**

 **Been awhile... again... I'm sensing a wee bit of a pattern.**

 **So this chapter can be considered the intro to the beginning of year two... and things are already building up... First off we learn that Jaune isn't the brightest when it comes to fruit, but he does love his kiwis... who doesn't...**

 **However, thats just small stuff... So we see a small misunderstanding between Weiss and Jaune from the two chapters ago where Jaune basically admits how he feels about Weiss. As for Cardin and Russell bullying Weiss for Jaune? Huh... a true act of friendship or them taking advantage of an already confused Jaune? Who knows, but in all reality, high school experience has taught me that it both are plausible. However, Jaune seems to have picked his side... come on man... tsk tsk.**

 **However, Raven senses something amiss... dun dunn dunnnn...**

 **Weiss also seems to be hardening up or getting... icer... over all of this. I think Jaune's little belittlement might have been the start of something... but who knows!**

 **So I got a question: What did you guys think of this chapter? Did you enjoy Weiss and Raven's little discussion? What about Jaune's predicament and where he is going. Got predictions? Thoughts? Reactions? Questions? Criticism? Let me know!**

 **Next time... an unexpected visitor shows up and... well... let's just say, it causes a lot of excitement. Let me know who you think it will be!**

 **REVIEWS!**

 **Yukas: Heya buddy! That chapter made me smile when Shaded and I wrote it! We needed some feel goods to end year one. Don't worry, we'll see more Jaune and Ruby! Don't worry, when Blake isn't hacking social media accounts, she's reading decent books (maybe Ninjas of Love? Who knows xD) So the only real ship you've ruled out was whiteknight? If im not mistaken? Well, anything and everything can happen. You know my rule xD**

 **Don't worry about Neptune, we'll see him soon enough and how that will change things... Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **Wes: MY FRIEND! I hope you are doing well. Like I said, I try to upload every week, but it gets difficult. Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter**

 **DragonManMax: Season Two will be heart pounder! BAHAHAHA we're just getting warmed up *cracks knuckles* BlakexJaune? huh... just cause of that... you make me wanna sink that ship bahahahaha! No... I guess we'll have to see where things go ;)**

 **Cpt. Lynx: Someone dropped a nuke on Whiteknight... when will it stop! We need to stop this madness! THIS IS MADNESS! I'm glad you like Blake, I can't wait to write more of her! She'll be coming up in about 2-3 chapters I think, but don't quote me... it's too late for me lol! Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **Xerzo: When I say not to worry, you should be on high alert. I love keeping people on their toes. You are getting somewhere with the prologues *starts to squeal* Though no one is dying... yet... IM JOKING!**

 **Hmmmmmmmmmm guest: glad you like the story! Trust me, I feel the same way writing it at times.**


	22. 22: Hard Truths and Harsh Realities

**CHAPTER 22: Hard Truths and Harsh Realities**

 **A/N: I'm so sorry…**

* * *

 _Hard truths cut both ways._

 _A quote that people need to understand. You may be doing a good telling the truth, yet the truth can be very damning. See… it's one thing telling the truth, but in how you tell it._

 _So I'll tell you a hard truth. The second to last day of band camp, a part of me wished that I had died that night. Maybe I did, and I didn't know it. Maybe the reality I was stuck in was my hell for what I've done to Weiss. I don't know. Maybe it was karma for telling the truth. Maybe it was karma for denying the truth._

 _One thing is clear; life has many ways of biting you in the ass._

* * *

Jaune shifted uncomfortably in the heat of the sun that blared down at them. It was a sweltering day as heat waves rose from the pavement.

However, what really irked him was how Weiss didn't have to do basics. No, she was busy enjoying the A/C up in the middle school, busy memorizing…. What a challenge. "SET!" Velvet called causing them to snap to attention. "God this sucks…" Cardin whispered causing Jaune nod in the very slightest in agreement as his eyes stared straight ahead.

"I SAID SET!" Velvet called out again as she marched through the ranks as Qrow and Raven watched on the sidelines. For such a shy girl, she could be a fiery one.

One minute went by.

Five minutes.

Ten minutes. At this point, sweat was starting to get into Jaune's eyes. His eyes stung with the salt of sweat that was slowly finding its way into his eyes… _Let's gooooo pleeeeaseeeee_.

Fifteen minutes in, his legs started to tighten up, his back started to complain from the forty pound drum digging into his shoulder blades.

Twenty minutes of the sun blaring down. _This is getting ridiculous now…_

Thirty minutes, he could see people starting to waiver. Even the muscular monster known as Yatsuhashi, easily the largest and strongest boy in the band, was starting to waiver. "MARK TIME MARK!" Velvet shouted. _Are you kidding me?_ He marched to the beat in place until beat one. The three percussionists tapped the beat as the band marched in a coherent block. "BAND TEN'HUT!" Velvet called as Jaune hit yard line on beat four and snapped to attention on beat one.

"ABOUT FACE!" The entire band swiveled one-hundred and eighty degrees with a singular fluent movement and sharp snap. "MARK TIME MARK!" Jaune sighed as he tapped off with rest of percussion. They marched the whole length of the parking lot until Velvet called "Band Ten'HUT!"

The block snapped to attention. "Alright, I think that's good for now." Qrow called out after which he turned to his sister and whispered, "Wanna take percussion up to the school now?"

"Sure."

Qrow nodded, "Alright, ten-minute break. Percussion goes back to the school with Mrs. Branwen. Dismissed." With that, students started to dissipate from their marching block as they sought refuge from the stagnant heat that clung to the humid air.

 _Thank the Lord_ he thought to himself as he cracked his neck, feeling the pops along going from head to toe. "Thirty minutes of attention… She must hate us." Russell muttered as he did the same.

Jaune nodded in agreement as he picked up his backpack. "They hate us simply because we're the best."

"Damn right." Cardin agreed as Raven approached the three of them.

"Back to the school?" Jaune asked as his shoulders slumped in exhaustion.

"Yep. Get your things; it's going to be a long one today…" She let out an exhausted sigh as everyone made the twenty-minute walk up the school.

They reached the top as the three boys were sweating something fierce. They found the office doors open and stepped through the threshold.

"Oh my god, I love AC!" Cardin froze basking in the cold air that flowed. It made sense for the rest of the band to resent percussion as Jaune couldn't help but smirk. They got away with a lot of stuff, but the biggest thing was the fact that they got to spend the rest of the day in the air-conditioned school.

"Dude, come on! You're hoggin the door." Russell bumped the taller, muscular boy with the end of his drum.

"Mr. Winchester, today would be appreciated…" Their instructor tapped her foot impatiently as the heat came crashing down on them.

"Ehh, sorry." The four of them made inside, walking through the atrium and towards the cafeteria the doubles as the assembly hall. Jaune jerked his head up as he could hear an intense, almost frantic melody. There was an almost wild flare as Weiss scales back and forth on the keyboard.

Though he was a not a fan of Weiss, he knew that some people were watching him, specifically the woman behind him. He tapped his friends on the shoulders as he brought a finger up to his lips. The boys rolled their eyes but reluctantly agreed as they found their ways in the cafeteria. There they found the white haired girl locked in combat with her xylophone.

Jaune would be impressed. No. bad. _She had all this time to practice, an hour and a half while we were marching._ He eased his carrier and quads off as everyone else did. Jaune moved to the table and plopped down, his back to Weiss. Cardin and Russell found themselves joining him in his silent protest.

Weiss paid none of the newcomers any mind as she followed the muscle memory that was ingrained in her mind. She no longer struggled with the notes, now it was just a matter of tempo.

She played as if she were a tempest, her mallets hitting the notes angrily and bitterly, yet there was a defined grace to her movements, however, what was telling the cold stare she gave the stage as she played her sharp, accented melody.

Then a slow down, as if the music flowed from her soul. A gradual reduction in the energy, the tempest she had, yet there was a graceful and powerful undertone of someone who would not, could not be beaten. ***Cringggggggggg***

She hit a wrong note, throwing everything out of balance. "DANG IT!" Weiss threw her mallets into the bag suspended underneath the instrument causing the boys to look at one another with smirks. They already their parts mastered, yet here was Weiss, still struggling.

"Almost." Raven encouraged, "If you lower the tempo, you would have had it." She said as she moved over to the stage grabbing a stack of papers and dropping them on the table with a loud thud. "High lighting time."

Highlighting time, a time to relax, a reprieve from the mind-numbing and physically draining warm ups. A time to take a longer than usual break, at the cost of highlighting new parts and break up the sheets of music into easily remembered sections of music called sets. "You'll be happy to know that this is it. This is the last highlighting party of the year."

Cardin and Russell groaned in disappointment, "Oh come on; you should be thankful, no more wasting time on stupid coloring, more time for playing!"

Cardin's head hit the table letting out a groan. "Yeah… me too… bud." Russell shook his shoulder. "We'll get through this, bro."

Jaune looked at the sheet music that was handed out to everyone. 150 beats per minute with a few parts rising to 180. Times shifts from 4/4, 3/3, and the dreaded 6/4, this was going to be a challenge. Through closer examination, each one of them had a solo in the show. "Solos?" Jaune looked up disbelievingly.

The woman nodded with a confident gleam in her eyes. "Specifically chosen for Percussion."

Weiss raised her hand, "But I already have a solo, in reality two solos. How can I handle three when I can't even master my first solo?"

"Wow…" Russell whispered, "Rub that in…"

Cardin smirked, "All I hear is bitch bitch bitch."

Jaune nodded in agreement. "Whine, Whine Whine." He whispered back receiving nods of agreement. _You deal with the hand you're dealt._ He held true to that rule, it was sacrosanct to him.

"I'm sure you can manage, the first show isn't until the first week of September. You have a whole month."

"What about the competition at the county fair?"

 _Wait…. we have a county fair? What is she talking about?_

Crimson eyes scanned over everyone before she sat at the table. "So we were going to wait to until the band was together, but I guess there isn't any harm telling any of you now. This will be the first time our school competes against the school districts in the county."

"So a battle of the bands?" Russell asked eagerly.

"Yes, Mr. Thrush, A battle of the bands." She couldn't help but to crack a smile at the thought.

"So who is all competing?" Jaune asked, raising an eyebrow.

"All of them, Susquenita, Greenwood, Newport and us."

He nodded with the one thing he couldn't help but to smile about, competing against Pyrrha. "Well, let's get going." Jaune urged the group as he reached for a pen and highlighter. As he grabbed them, he noted a slight scowl from their Percussion leader.

"Right," Raven dropped a binder on the table and opened it up to her ungodly score. "So set seventy-eight is measure one through four. Right off the bat, there are three punctual attacks on every third upbeat. Weiss you'll counteract that with your own attacks on their down beats."

So they went going through set by set, they went through the expectations, they highlighted their parts. Their own sheet music was marked up with notes, how to stick certain rhythms or ideas of what the mood of the music was supposed to be. After an hour, their sheets were colored and marked up, their minds mush, even Raven was starting to fight off a mental haze. "Twenty-minute break, you all need it."

Jaune wouldn't deny that; there was something about going through sheets of music that was thoroughly crushing to the boy. However, morale was raised when the fruit tray arrived causing Jaune to immediately steal all of the kiwis.

"Dude, none of us actually like them," Cardin muttered in disgust.

"Shut up!" He held the green fruit tightly, "I can't be too careful."

"Freak," Russell said as he picked up a chunk of watermelon causing the blonde to stick his tongue out.

"Jaune can I talk to you?" Raven asked from her bench sitting across from Weiss.

Without a second thought, he headed over to the table with his fruit earning a smirk from the woman. "What's up?" He gave a quick over to Weiss to see her just as happy.

"So the competition is just going to be between the actual bands." Raven started slowly. "There's also going to be a drum off."

"Cool," _Even better. A true competition against Pyrrha._

"Well you already know our Percussion is already hurting for people…" _what the hell is she getting at._ He flashed his eyes back to Weiss to see if she had any idea yet she looked just as clueless. "I want you to teach Weiss how to play snare."

His jaw practically dropped to the table. _No way. Why? Does Raven absolutely hate me? No. no. No. this was just a very crappy circumstance._ The look on her face confirmed it. She seemed blissfully unaware. Yet, Weiss looked just a stunned as he did.

"But…." They both started

"It's just a one-time thing." Their instructor reassured them, "It doesn't have to be a lot either. Weiss just needs to learn the cadence. I'll think of the beat for the drum off, but it won't be something complex."

Jaune was not happy but he nodded. "Sure, when do you want us to start?"

"Now."

"Now?" They asked looking at one another

"Now," Raven confirmed with a hint a jolliness in her voice.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 _This sucks. A lot._ Jaune gritted his teeth as they walked back down to the high school with Weiss. Not a word had been shared between the two as they reached the older, brick building. Using the keys that Raven had given to him.

"I don't like it as much as you do, Jaune." Weiss huffed.

"But we have a job to do," Jaune said as he held the door open.

"So let's get it done then." Weiss agreed as they both entered the band room. It was the first thing they agreed on since their falling out, let out alone talk privately.

The two percussionists went towards the storage room, "First thing is that we get you fitted for a harness." Jaune said as he reached for a typical black harness. He handed it towards her without looking at her, "Note to the wise, make sure your hair is into the neck piece and not under, or else you're going to have a bad time."

Weiss did as she was told and draped the black contraption over her body. Right off the bat, it was uncomfortable. A large metal piece came down to her thighs, preventing her movement. "I don't think this is going to work." She noted incredulously. Jaune turned back with a sigh,

"You can adjust it you know." He shot back as if she were stupid.

"Uh…" Her confidence waned as she looked at the harness, "I don't know how."

He practically facepalmed. On the one hand, he thought she was the dumbest thing on the planet. Yet, on the other hand, _I can't blame her, she's never done this before._ "Right…" He sighed as he knelt down. "I'll only do it for you once, so pay attention."

"This piece," He gestured to the metal plate that covered the thighs, "Needs to be above the waist." He loosened four bolts on the metal plate that connected to a slider.

"I got it." She said too harshly causing Jaune to recoil a bit. The boy got up immediately and moved towards the instruments practically fuming. Here he was trying to help her out, and she chews him out.

"Whatever," He mumbled to himself "Try to be a nice guy and get chewed out." He picked out a snare that was relatively light. He gave it a flick if the finger a few times on the head get a beautiful ring.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, princess." He blurted out realizing that this was going somewhere he didn't want it to go.

"What has gotten into you, Jaune Arc?!" Weiss stomped her foot on the ground. "Show some respect for authority."

Jaune whirled around as he felt something within him snap. "Me? ME? Respect for authority? No. You don't get any." He snarled, clutching his fists. "You haven't done jack shit to earn that respect. Respect isn't given, it's earned."

"You think I wanted to lead?" Weiss shot back immediately, "I knew from the moment my name was called that this was going to cause problems. But I was given this task, and I will see it through. You are immature by taking this too personally."

Jaune blinked being stunned by the sudden back bone of the white-haired girl. There was a certain fire in her icy blue eyes that he could admire yet he came back to reality as those same determined blue eyes bore right into him, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Weiss crossed her arms standing tall and proud as if she won the battle, "You know exactly what I mean. I think you're jealous. You're jealous that you didn't get the chance to ask me out."

"Please… dont." He said in a hushed voice

 _The cannonball was fired_

"You're jealous that I'm happy with Neptune."

"Stop." He quietly pleaded.

 _It was sailing through the air hurtling right towards him._

"You're jealous that I'm with him and not you, and you're taking it out on me! You are being pathetic and disgusting. You should be ashamed of yourself." She finished with a look that would freeze the sun.

 _The ball crashed right into him._ He couldn't think it took a moment to just register her words. "Get out."

"Not until I hear that I was right."

It shattered. "GET THE FUCK OUT!" Jaune yelled at the top of his lungs as he picked up the five hundred dollar snare and threw it across the room as he panted heavily. He whirled around on pure instinct, "You selfish _BITCH!_ You think I wanted to stop being friends with you?!" He spat back with a certain wild gleam in his eyes. "No! I was forced to by your so called beloved. Neptune forced me to cut ties! He was jealous of our friendship! I cut you off to fucking protect you from getting hurt! HE SAID THAT HE WOULD HURT YOU!"

He shined past her and towards the door, "So no, I'm not jealous of your possessive boyfriend. You can keep him. I'm fucking done."

He was livid right now as his heart pounded in his chest. Off in the distance, he heard a distant, "Yeah right Jaune Arc, you're just being petty!" That in and of itself sent him over the edge as he slammed open the door.

He walked by the grassy patch that overlooked the parking lot failing to notice one singular vehicle parked there, a white truck.

What horseshit. What utter complete horseshit. How could he be jealous? No, that was impossible. He was doing this cut all ties, he was doing this for a new start.

Jealousy? No. no way. Why would I be jealous? Then again…. No. stop.

Maybe… just maybe he was a little jealous. _FUCKING STOP IT!_

The thought stuck in his mind as his anger subsided, his heart rate slowing down. As he calmed down, he looked at his hands to see that he was trembling. He let his anger get the best of him.

Anger…

Anger…

Anger…

One thought popped into his mind, _Am I turning into_ _**him**_?

"No. No. No." he reassured himself. "Just got a little heated. _You tossed a snare drum because you heard things you didn't want to hear._ "No…. I did because…"

There was no reason to do it. "Fuck me." He let out a sigh.

He sat outside for about fifteen minutes before he dragged himself up. He entered the school and band room to see Weiss checking the drum. "Here, let me see." Jaune offered almost apologetically.

"I can handle it." Weiss didn't bother to face him.

"Weiss…. I'm sorry… for lashing out. It was inappropriate." He said as he knelt down, inspecting the drum.

She froze, eyeing him wearily. "You're right; it was completely inappropriate." _Wow… add some salt on_ _the wound._ "But… it was inappropriate for me to have snapped as well."

After his inspection, the drum only had a few loose bolts that loosened the drumhead. After tightening them with a drum key and another flick test, the drum sounded just as new. "Let's just pretend that this didn't happen, please?"

A tense minute went by as he looked at his former friend with almost pleading eyes. He could see the conflict in her eyes as she stared, her lips quivering as if she wanted to say something g, anything. "I…. I…. don't know." Her confidence waned, the hurt was clearly evident. "I just miss how things were, it was simpler."

He couldn't bring himself to acknowledge that simple yet heavy, harsh, hard truth, "Ready?" He asked, trying to change the subject, "It's going to weigh a bit."

"Got it." She said confidently as he lowered the drum.

He was careful not to simply just drop the drum on the rungs used to carry and support the drum. He eased it down slowly for her to get adjusted to the weight. "I'm letting go now. Ready?" She nodded confidently as he let go, causing her almost to double over.

"How do you guys march in these while playing?"

He let out a small chuckle, "You'll get used to it. I would be lying if I said it's easy." He could see the gloom in her eyes as she stared at the odd musical contraption on her, "Don't worry, you can do this."

Blue eyes met blue eyes. He realized how terribly conflicted he was. Why did things have to be so confusing…? He heard a snap of the fingers drawing his attention away,

"Should we get started then?"

Jaune blinked, "Yeah, sure." He mumbled awkwardly as he averted his gaze. He went over to grab his own drum and hooked it up. "Right, so let's go over the grip first."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Jaune I need to talk to you."

He slowly looked from his phone, getting slightly irritated that he was being pulled away from his conversation with Yang. He was greeted by, what a surprise, an annoyed Velvet.

"I heard what you did today."

"Velvet…" He let out a sigh, "I don't have time for this."

She sat down beside him giving him a smile. "You should… remember, I'm the drum major."

He straightened himself up as the usually socially awkward and shy girl showed her more serious side. "You hurt her not once, but twice and I will never forgive you for that. However, if you think about doing anything… and I mean _anything_ , just remember I can make your life a living hell."

"My life can't be any worse." He shrugged giving her a cheeky smile. He knew that stopped her right in her tracks when she just gave him a blank stare. It took her a moment recover

"Well I can make it worse." She growled, "Stop messing around with her."

With that Velvet stormed off, heading back home for the evening with only one more day to go. He placed his ear buds back in.

 _Y: Hurry up… I'm getting hungry :/_

 _J: We're leaving soon, I think…?_

 _Y: Not very reassuring scrub xD_

 _J: Shut it nub :p_

 _Y: Ruby keeps texting me that she's hungry. Tell my mom to get her butt in gear._

 _J: and incur her wrath? I may be stupid, but I'm not suicidal._

 _Y: she isn't that bad…._

 _J: when she's tired and cranky? Like poking a pissed off dragon with a fly swatter._

He looked at the battery; it was about to die,

J: _brb, phone dying, goin to get charger._

He rummaged through his bag trying to find his charger to no success. _Ding!_ It was in the car!

He stood up and headed towards Raven's Sedan as the two siblings were discussing the year's logistics and funding issues. He opened the band door and walked up to the school's lobby. He opened the front door, noticing a very familiar White Dodge Truck. The one he might have seen earlier. Seeing the truck for some reason caused a very dark foreboding feeling within him as he scanned the area nervously. It felt like an eternity since he had seen that truck… then again, maybe it wasn't _HIS_ truck. That hope was quickly dashed on the sharp jagged rocks of reality.

"Hey son."

The man looked thinner, frailer than what he could believe. His own gray hair tangled in greasy and matted knots, his shirt looked as if he slept in it for a couple of days. _No. No. No. That can't be him. It's a dream. That's right, just a dream._ He thought to himself as his heart started to pound. "We've got a lot to talk about." The man walked towards the young blonde. The dream or nightmare was walking towards him.

Jaune could feel himself feel increasingly sweaty, harder to breathe, a pounding sensation in his head. "Let's go home." _No…. this had to be a dream. One horrible fucking nightmare. That isn't him. That isn't him. No. He…. No…_ The man kept getting closer and closer until he was arm's reach. "Jaune." He used his commanding voice. "Let's go."

"No." He blurted as he took several steps back as his chest sounded to pound.

He could see the fire in his eyes from that night which felt like an eternity ago. Jaune's hand immediately reached for his phone in his pocket. He had to call someone, anyone, for help. His hand pulled it out as he scrambled to punch the number he knew by heart. His eyes went wide he felt nothing in his hand. Time slowed down as he kept backpedaling, his phone dropping to the ground. A boot coming down crunching down on it with a resounding *CRACK!*

His heart gave out as it started to race to the point where he lost all feeling. He reacted on pure instinct as he ran as fast as he could, as hard as he could, to the side entrance. **BADOOM .BADOOM.** His heart raced as he clutched his chest. The ground was feeling like quicksand as he couldn't, the air was getting heavier and heavier. He slammed open the door to the school a few more steps to the band room. The air that he was sucking in was doing nothing to settle his already deafening heart that filled his ears. Somehow, he found himself in the bandroom too weak to stand after a loud *BOOM!* of a door being ripped open.

That was when he could no longer breathe. The pain was getting too much for him to stand as he made choking sounds in between his desperate attempts of gasps of air.

He could see the Branwen siblings out of the office staring at him. "Jaune?" Raven stepped forward hesitantly as if approaching a wild animal, gesturing that everything was going to be fine. His blue eyes went wide as he realized he was starting to lose all feeling in his body. He looked up at the Branwens.

"He's here…" He choked out before collapsing to the floor.

He could hear things around, the ground shaking underneath him, people talking yet it felt so….. Distorted. The lights in the room felt like they were going to melt him as if he were a snowman. The only thing he could feel was his heart that pounded away as he lost all feeling in his arms and legs.

* * *

Raven and Qrow sprinted over to Jaune. "Shit. Shit. Shit." The woman cursed as she lifted his head up. "Jaune! Stay with us. Come on. Stay with us!" She tapped his cheeks as Qrow frantically paced.

"What the hell did he mean? Who was _he?"_ He thought to himself before stopping and looking down to his sister. "We need to get him to the hospital. Now."

"Qrow…." Raven realized, it dawned on her when she looked at her brother. The fear on the boy's face. The utter panic. He looked like he seen a ghost. He looked as if he died. "His."

"Father." He finished his thought. "We can't worry about that now, we need to get him to a hospital now." Raven wasn't going to argue with him as Qrow hoisted Jaune up into her arms bridal style with huff of exertion. Qrow held the door as she followed him up to the lobby. "Stick close to me. Whatever happens, we can't let him get ahold of Jaune." Raven nodded silently as she looked down at Jaune.

His eyes were rolling around as if he were trying to focus on something or anything. "Jaune. Stay with me. I know you can do it. You're strong. You've been through worse."

The front door slammed open as Qrow scanned the area.

"Hey! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY SON!" Both Branwen siblings felt their blood turn into molten metal hearing him dare to call out for his 'son,' "Rae go."

"But…"

He shot her a look that meant don't argue which usually didn't go over so well. This time though… this time it was a good incentive.

* * *

Jaune could hear loud unintelligible growling around as he tried to focus on the one thing that was constant, the blurry black thing with two red eyes. It spoke to him yet most of it didn't make sense. The words just didn't make sense as he floated in the cloud. He tried to focus on the different voices… yet they sounded so far away..

He almost yelped as if he heard a loud boom of thunder.

* * *

Raven slammed the door shut as Qrow held back the ex-marine. "You can't kidnap my son!" He shouted as he managed to get around Qrow.

However, that caused something to snap in Raven. "And you shouldn't abuse your son either." She said marching over to him. "He isn't your play thing to do whatever you want with him. You should be disgusted with yourself, you piece of _shit._. " She pointed at the car, "Look at what you did to him. You did this to him-" She didn't finish the sentence as she found herself on the ground with a rather disgusting looking man towering over him with the look of pure unfiltered hatred that screamed that she was about ready to get the shit kicked out of her, or worse.

She thought that was it until Qrow managed to regain control, tackling the man to the ground. She hoisted herself up, ignoring an intense burning sensation in her arm, "Raven go." He shouted as he swiped Anthony Arc's leg causing him to crash to the ground. "Now LISTEN TO ME!" Qrow bellowed. "YOU ARE ON SCHOOL PROPERTY! HE'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY. FURTHERMORE, HE DOESN'T WANT YOU NEAR HIM AND YOU ARE ON PROBATION. IF YOU EVER WANT TO SEE YOUR SON EVER AGAIN, YOU'LL BACK THE FUCK OFF."

Raven slammed her car door watching as her brother had the desired effect. The man seemed pacified. She started the car and backed up. Time was of the essence as she looked over at the passenger seat. The blonde seemed to be lucid though he grimaced in pain occasionally. She reached with one hand and grasped his hand. His palm was cold and sweaty, almost lifeless though that suspicion was proven wrong when a very weak grip was established. "Hang in there. You're safe now."

A few minutes on the road, she felt her pocket vibrate. She broke her grip with Jaune and reached for her phone. As expected, it was her brother. "Are you alright?" She asked with concern in her voice as she drove with one hand.

" _Yeah, I'm fine. How are you, though. You were the one that was hurt…"_ She could hear the guilt in his voice

She looked at her arm to see her arm was bleeding. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Qrow, this wasn't your fault."

There was only silence on the other side until he cleared his throat. " _Well… I let Tai know that you're on the way. He'll be waiting for you. I'll pick up everyone else."_

"Thanks, Qrow." She hanged up as she put her phone down and returned to driving.

They finally made it to the highway when she noted Jaune was spazzing out of control in his seat. His eyes suddenly focused on the road.

Jaune was snapped out of his haze to feel everything on fire. His chest felt like it was going to burst open. His heart about to blow itself up into thousands of bloody ribbons.

Breathing was a pain, breathing was an effort. It didn't come naturally. "Where…" he croaked out as he clutched his chest letting out a sickly wheeze

"We're going to the hospital." A voice said. He could hear, no, sense, the tension in the voice. Yet who was with him? The voice sounded familiar.

Then it happened. It felt like a dagger being plunged into his chest. "GAHHHHHHHH!" He cried as he writhed in agony as his body twisted and contorted in ways he couldn't or wouldn't imagine possible as he tried to escape the pain.

"SHIT!" He heard a voice curse as he felt something wrap around his hand. "Jaune…. Squeeze. Come on buddy, we're here." He tried to listen to the voice as he clamped down on the hand. Everything was getting darker. Things were getting blurry, his eyelids heavy. "Stay awake. Come on… Stay AWAKE DAMN IT!"

He wanted to but the darkness was too strong. The last thing he heard was a woman practically screaming at him to stay awake.

* * *

 _You deal with the hand you are dealt with. That is the game we play. That is the game of life, you are given cards and cards are taken away. Keep them close to your chest when you think you have a winning hand, but remember, life is the ultimate game master._

* * *

 **Hey guys.**

 **It's me. I'm back after dealing with stressful work, personal problems, and other things. But some good news, I have up to 24 in backlog? So that's good, right? I think... hopefully *shrugs***

 **Oh my... some people are going to love me? hate me? I don't know... let me know xD**

 **One thing I do want to address right now before we break down the chapter. I keeping with my own thoughts of life, I believe life often offers surprises. Things happen randomly without our control hence you have Jaune's Dad shows up out of nowhere. Some of you may be against that, but in reality, I believe that this moment could have happened at any moment with the story. We knew he was out there when he got his truck. Now, I could have made this arc happen after another issue, but in reality, life doesn't wait for story arcs to completed, it just happens ya know? Let me know what you guys think.**

 **Now break down time. So the elephant in the room has been addressed. The truth is out. For both of them. This is going to be a critical point that will either completely break the two of them permanently or help to recover, but if there is recovery, it is never easy. Either way, it is going to be a nasty fight up that hill, but we can all hope, right?**

 **So we have that front to contend with... now we have a second front. Jaune's father. This is going to bring up some serious legal ramifications for the Branwens that ruin their lives and careers... and well Raven was already hurt physically bloody torn up arm... getting tossed on asphalt from a side walk can really mess you up. But hey that might not be last of that... we'll have to see. Let me know how you think this will all play out.**

 **As for the heart attack, I wanted to create two parallels of the situation. Jaune being disconnected from reality as his body goes into shock... almost a carefreeness to him, and Raven's urgency of realizing that this is a legit medical emergency.**

 **Now a heads up, next few chapters are going to be different perspectives for... well... reasons.**

 **So... what did you guys think? Let me know! thoughts, predictions, reactions, any and all are totally welcomed!**

 **REVIEWS!**

 **DragonManMax: MAN! IT HAS BEEN AWHILE! HI! I would never sink S. S. Knightshade... at least not yet... bahahahaha. I like you, you got good jokes xD. Yeah so I see you caught onto the pattern, but uhhh there's going to be a change in that flow now... Take that for what it's worth lmao. Hope you enjoyed the chapter mate!**

 **Jiore: Hi there! Jaune you stupid ninny! Would you say that History is still repeating himself? And has Raven caught on? The fact that she made Jaune teach Weiss seems suspicious. DUN DUNN DUNNNNN *shrugs* Hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **Xerzo: Hey there! I think you really really hit it on the end with what im trying to get at but you are missing one factor. you said "he has become the bad guy because he didn't have a choice." Bingo. But, if you look back in the intro, being forced into something because you don't have a choice, is ultimately a choice and decision that is made. Often when we think there is no choice, there are infinite choices that lead up to an impossible situation. Even at impossible situations, choices need to be made. Again these just philosophical thoughts.**

 **Yukas: YUKAS MY FRIEND! Am I bury white-knight? Am I really...? Neptune is not a fan of Jaune because he is one of those territorial cool prick heads xD Yukas... it's like you have one of my plan books? Good thing I have Plans B to Z42. Looks like I need to go for another one xD But for real, we'll see where things go, right?**

 **Cpt. Lynx: My friend, you would me! I did not drop a nuke on Whiteknight... welll maybe... but it's good for the immune system... maybe... not really. See you're going wanna keep eyes on Cardin and Russell cause I don't know if they are being legit... hmmmmmmmm Your guess for the unexpected visitor is slightly off... by a lot... cheers mate!**

 **AnAustrialianGamer: Hello my friend! I'm glad you stumbled upon this odd adventure/experiment. Lie I said, this is supposed to simulate the struggles of life, and to me, that means that the past is never trully gone, so it can't be forgotten. It can get buried at points, but it'll always be there. As for the father... yeah... we're just going to see where that goes, cause we are not done with that by a long shot. Hope you like the chapter my friend!**


	23. Chapter 23: Failure

**Chapter 23: Failure**

 _Now you may be asking, how did I know any of this was going on? How can someone about to die in a shock induced coma, remember any of this? Well... ya see, when you develop these kinds of relationships, which takes times, they eventually tell you anything and everything. And I mean that literally. My first heart... episode was something that scared the living shit out of everyone._

 _Yet you have to wonder, was it fate? luck? divine intervention? I don't know, and I don't pretend to know. I do know that it shaped what was to come for the next seven years._

Yang looked at her phone as her stomach growled. Usually, Mom and Jaune were home by now 10:00 they should have been home thirty minutes ago. She was saving appetite for the planned run to Poppaz with Ruby.

Yang let out a sigh as she looked out the window. Why weren't they here? She did a second take when a car approached, slowing down. She could feel a smile creeping up on her lips at the prospect of not being so bored now, yet that feeling slowly dissipated when she noticed that it wasn't her mom's car. She blinked, thinking it was just her imagination playing tricks on her when she saw Uncle Qrow's car pull in the driveway. She wasn't dreaming when Qrow stepped out of the car. Yang got off her bed and ran down the stairs just as Qrow knocked on the front door. The blonde opened it to be greeted with a very shook. Up Qrow. "Uncle Qrow?" She asked as Summer got out of the car.

"Yang… something happened, I need you to come with us" Qrow approached as the blonde girl brought her hand to her mouth as Summer pulled her towards the car. "Jaune's heart went off."

"We'll get it all taken care of Yang; Your mom is taking him to the hospital right now." Summer comforted her as she held the door open. The blonde girl shut her eyes at the thought. No this was impossible. This can't be happening. Her throat started to constrict as a feeling of shallowness started to engulf her. _He was just fine. He was fine this morning. He was fine yesterday._

"I'm so sorry, Yang." Ruby embraced her older cousin tightly. She wanted to return the hug, yet her body just didn't have the energy, the ability to move as she watched Summer and Qrow get back into the car.

"Qrow, what's going on? How did this happen?" Summer asked.

For once, Qrow remained silent despite all of the poking and prodding.

* * *

Raven tapped Jaune's cheek. "Stay awake! Jaune! Please!"

She looked up see Tai running out of the ER drive through with two nurses carrying a stretcher. He opened the door, immediately undoing the seatbelt and hoisted the boy out of the car seat. He was placed on the stretcher as the nurses secured him. Raven watched as the pale boy for any sign of life. There was none. "Tai… I…".

Her husband looked up at her, eyes brimming with determination, "Rae, I got this." He quickly pulled out his stethoscope putting it up to his chest pressing it down in several spots. He straightened up with alarm, something his wife noted. The color drained from his face as his calm and collected professional demeanor was cracked by something, "We need to go now." He said to one of the nurses.

Raven kept up with the procession that stormed the hospital wincing as she clutched her bleeding arm, blood slowly leaking downward, spattering the cement and the floor of the hospital. Once inside, her way barred from several nurses. "Ma'am you can't go in there." They held her back which only made the woman try to push through with renewed vigor. "We will have you escorted out if you cannot control yourself!" One nurse practically shouted which stunned her to submission.

She couldn't be kicked out. Not at such a pivotal moment. She grunted as she took a step back. She should be there with him. She should be doing something, but no, she couldn't with these damn nurses blocking her way. Thankfully, the waiting room was sparse as she paced back and forth.

 _Tai has treated gunshots and stabbings, strokes and heart attacks. I'm sure he can handle this._ She tried to rationalize to herself. Yet one thing startled her and made her second herself. The look on her husband's face.

This was horseshit.

* * *

"Hey Jaune buddy, stick with me." Tai peered into his eyes with a flashlight. Pupils dilated, not a good sign. Not a good sign at all.

Tai looked over to the nurse. "Let's get him on a round of Lidocaine while giving him 10 CC of Amiodarone. Let's move it, people!" He hustled the nurses as he held his stethoscope to his chest hearing almost nothing.

Tai shook his head seeing his heartbeat around forty beats per minutes, his blood pressure so incredibly low. His heart was coming down. "He needs a kick."

If they injected him now, there was a very high chance he would die. They needed a higher, steady pulse... Yet he knew the dangers of mixing these kinds of drugs.

He moved over to the cabinet that contained several glass bottles and found it. Adrenaline. He took a needle and filled it a quarter of the way. Too much would cause too much damage, but he needed to up the heart rate or else the medicine would kill him.

He moved to Jaune's arm. "Hey buddy, I'm going to give you a shot, you're going to feel your heart beat a little faster, alright?" He hoped the boy could hear him. He prayed that he did.

He held his hand only to feel subtle squeeze which he interpreted as go for it. Tai scanned his arm gave a light tap on the inner arm with two fingers making the veins pop out oh so slightly.

He pushed the needle in and pressed down as he watched the liquid drain, his eyes trained on the monitor. Then it started to pick up. 40. 50. 60. 70.

80\. 90. "Good."

100\. No

110.

120.

130.

 **140.**

He looked over to see Jaune was hyperventilating as he spasmed out on the stretched.

"HANG IN THERE BUDDY!" He squeezed his hand. "WHERE'S MY AMIODRANE?" Tai looked up to see a nurse approached with a shot.

He took the needle and injected it into the young man's arm. "Hey buddy, everything is fine, just get some rest alright?" He felt a very weak squeeze that lessened and lessened until nothing.

Soon enough, he was hooked up to an IV that slowly dripped, providing the medicine that he desperately needed to stabilize his heart.

Taiyang straightened up as he looked down at the boy that was now sleeping in the bed, his haggard breaths barely audible over the beeping of the monitors. He wiped his brow and decided to pull up a chair and record what exactly happened.

He was used to seeing people in the bed. It was a part of the profession. People ended up on the bed and was the on above them. He learned quickly that he needed to put distance between himself and his patients. There was always a chance that when they close their eyes, they would never open back up. It was just the reality of things.

Yet… this was different. He never wanted to see anyone he cared back on a stretcher; he never wanted to be one looming over Qrow or Summer.

He could never imagine himself looming over his beloved Raven or his little sun dragon.

* * *

 _Failure._

Raven winced as she peeled back the medical gauze that soaked in the blood from her scrapes and gashes. "Thanks," She said to the nurse who smiled as she left. As soon as the nurse was gone, she ripped off the bandages; she was never one to shrink away from her own blood.

She received some pretty deep cuts, though they didn't warrant stitches. They insisted just in case, but she dismissed their concerns. She got stitches as a child and has avoided them ever since then.

No… the blood, the pain was just a fitting punishment for letting down the young boy. She said, no, she promised, that nothing would happen to him. She promised that his father wouldn't find him, that she would protect them. _I failed._

She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists in the waiting room. _I failed._ She failed Qrow, Yang, Taiyang, herself, and, most importantly, Jaune. _I failed._

Her husband hadn't come out, and it's been hours. Each ticking minute just reinforced her own guilt. Reinforced her anticipation. Her dread.

The door opened up as she swerved her head. In stepped her brother with his wife, their daughter, and her own daughter.

"Mom…" Yang whispered as she darted over, embracing her causing Raven let out a small hiss as Yang squeezed her bad arm. Yang immediately broke away with a look of pure concern. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Raven simply rustled her hair "It's fine," She reassured her he with a weak smile, "I'm fine."

That didn't ease her concerned look. "Are you alright? is he alright alright?" She practically pleaded. Her mother took hand gave a reassuring squeeze.

"He's in good hands." She hoped out loud as her daughter rested her head on her mother's good shoulder. Qrow and his family sat in front her. "And I'm fine."

"No, you're not… look at your arm." Yang pointed out.

She got a dismissive hand, "Just a scratch."

"That is not a scratch!"

"Yang, I'm fine. I've been through worse." _Failure._

Raven was pale, paler than normal as she sat in the waiting room. Yang was squeezing her hand when it should have been her. _I failed._ was the only thought that filled her head

"Mom… I'm scared…. What happened?" her daughter squeezed her hand dragging her back to reality.

Red sympathetic eyes looked down her own daughter's lilac eyes that were slightly red from tears. "I know honey." She draped her arm around the scared blonde who was trembling. "He'll pull through. He knows how much we are rooting for him." _I failed._ She rubbed her daughter's arm causing Yang to snuggle into her closer, resting her head on her mother's shoulder. "Dad is taking care of him now, though; he's in good hands." She tried to reassure her, yet she couldn't reassure herself.

Yang looked up at him, clearly scared. "What happened to him? What caused this?"

 _Failure._

Raven breath hitched slightly. _I failed._ It rang out crystal clear. _I failed. I failed. I failed. "_ I…. I….. failed…" She breathed. "His father… his father… I should have… done something… anything. I could have stopped this…"

It was time for Yang to hug her, being more aware of her mother's injured arm. "You didn't fail, Mom. You would have if you never took him in. You got him here, and that's what matters."

The somber and hushed mood overtook them too. "We came as soon as we could." Summer interrupted quietly. "Sorry, it took us so long..."

Ruby sat beside Yang while Qrow and Summer in front Qrow's sister. "Hey Rae…" Qrow's usually laid back attitude was gone. Instead, it was depressed Qrow, something that no one had ever seen, except for Raven back when they lived under the same roof.

"Hey." She said in a hushed tone.

The white-cloaked woman even seemed down. Summer looked around seeing how dejected and depressed everyone was. It might be better if the kids got out of and got something to eat. "Hey Yang, why don't you take Ruby and get some food at the cafeteria." Summer handed her twenty dollar bill.

"Sure thing Aunt Summer." She took the bill while taking Ruby by the hand, "Come on, Rubes, let's go see if those triple chocolate chip cookies."

"Okay…" The gothic dressed girl said in a hushed voice as she stared at the ground.

As soon as the girls left Summer, she turned to face both Branwens, crossing her arms with a scared, confused look. "Guys, what happened?" Summer asked, '"Qrow hasn't said a damn thing besides Jaune being here..."

Raven broke down; she couldn't hold it in. "I failed. I failed everyone."

Qrow crossed his arms, glancing up at his sister, "You aren't the only one."

"Guys, talk to me…" Summer pleaded.

The black-haired woman looked up with bitter, angry tears, and puffy, even redder eyes. "Summer you were supposed to keep track of Anthony Arc! Did you know where he was?"

Summer stared at her with a foreboding sense of shame. "No… but…"

"Rae don't blame…"

"No! She said she was going follow him! She let this happen!" Raven hissed as she continued, "He was at Bandcamp. He was watching Jaune. Most likely watching all of us. And Jaune saw him... And... And... He almost took him. How long was he following us because of your neglect."

"Shut the hell up, Raven. It wasn't her fault, and you know it."

"Oh God no…" Summer whispered to herself. "That's what caused it, isn't it?" The short woman's eyes were filled with a certain unexplainable guilt. "I fucked it all up."

Qrow rested a reassuring hand on Summer cloaked shoulder while staring daggers at his sister. "No, Summer, you couldn't have been following him 24/7, no one could have. You did the best you could and that's what matters."

Silence filled the air as everyone thought one thing, failure. Raven couldn't take it, here she failed to be a good friend and loving sister because he let his emotions get the better of herself.

"Summer," Raven cleared her throat as she wiped away her tears. "I'm… I'm sorry…. it's just.. the fear in his eyes… I haven't seen it since when me and Qrow were kids." She shuddered at the memories that she forced herself to block out. "It made me feel so… helpless. I promised myself and Qrow that I would never be so powerless again."

With that Qrow and Summer looked at one another before standing up simultaneously. Qrow stood in front of his sister taking her by the hands and hoisting her up. He embraced in the most affectionate hug he could muster. "You did everything you could, then and now."

"I…" she blurted out only to be almost tackled by Summer

"It'll be fine. He's a fighter; he has to be when he's living with you." The shorter woman reassured as she embraced her taller friend.

The door opened and everyone turned, expected to see their kids… but it wasn't their children. Tai, wearing his doctor's coat walked in with a clipboard, the gloom look only made Raven feel like a helpless child again. "Hey, guys… am I interrupting something?

"No…" Raven separated herself as clear her throat, trying to compose herself, "Tai… news?"

He nodded as he took a seat avoiding eye contact with everyone. "Well… um…." Tai cleared his throat. Raven could only feel her energy get sapped. When Tai was avoiding something, she knew. She _knew_ it meant something serious.

Everyone sat down in front of Tai as the man leaned on his knees unable to meet them in the air. "I…. uh…. Don't know how to say this…. but he shouldn't be alive."

The gravity of that statement sunk in as the only sound that could be heard was ticking of the clock. Each tick marked a second, a moment of time, trying to comprehend that statement.

"What do you mean, 'He shouldn't be alive.'?" Qrow broke the silence thankfully as his sister tried to comprehend what he had just said.

Tai looked at his friends as he rubbed his hands together. "I mean we were lucky. His heart rate was over 250 bpm when he got out of the ambulance… When we were trying to stabilize him, his heart dropped to forty… forty... " He shook his head, "That kind of shock would kill anyone, yet he clung on. His heart rate was too late though. There's no coming back from that except for adrenaline… and in his condition, with the combination of drugs we had to use… He shouldn't be here... That should have killed him; his heart should not have lasted that long. If he had gotten here any later…" his voice trailed off.

Raven's breath hitched as Qrow cursed, "Jesus Christ."

"Well… good thing you got here when you did." Summer tried to remain optimistic in her hushed tone.

"No…. This shouldn't have happened to begin with." Raven practically hissed, "I let this happen." Her shoulders sagged.

Qrow kept quiet, simply staring at the ground. He didn't make a peep since the revelation as if he were in his own little world.

Qrow shook his head, "This was going to happen eventually. We all knew that"

"How is he now?" Summer asked trying to lighten the mood.

The blonde man seemed to be put at ease as he leaned back into his chair with a small smile. "He's sleeping." Everyone let out a sigh of relief. "We gave him a dose of antiarrhythmic medication with a sedative. He should be under for a couple of hours."

The news should have been a good thing. It should have put Raven at ease, yet she still felt responsible. She felt like she failed him, failed him bad. She felt like she was one who let him, who put him in that bed. The woman only nodded as she covered her deep frown with her hand.

* * *

Yang guided her cousin up to the cafeteria as the elevator reached the top floor. It was relatively empty except for the few people who worked the food line. A few doctors sat here and there.

"Yang…" Ruby asked, tugging on her arm.

She snapped out of as she looked down. Funny how things were in a daze, she had forgotten to speak. She hadn't said a word to Ruby.

"Hmmm? What?" She waved offer the younger girl's concern. "Here." She handed her a tray. "Get whatever you want." She smiled as she tried to bury all of her anxiety.

Ruby looked at her suspiciously. "You're not getting anything?"

The blonde looked at the food. Usually, she would get anything and everything, but she wasn't in the mood to eat.

"Yang Xiao-Long you haven't eaten a thing. Eat something or...or… I'll… do something! And when I know what… you won't like it…" The red-cloaked girl threatened.

With a smile, the blonde reluctantly picked up a small piece of cheesecake while Ruby got her customary comfort food of cookies. They approached the cashier who looked over Yang for a moment. "You have Tai's girl." The cashier guessed.

Yang nodded, "Yessir." She said as she handed hin the twenty.

The cashier shook his hand with a smile, "Don't worry bout it then. Consider it on the house."

Yang looked at him questioningly, "You sure mister?"

"Yeah, you look like you had a day." He saIs sympathetically.

"Heh… you definItely could say that again."

The cashier chuckled, "I don't think I should, but it's fine, go on ahead."

Yang picked up the tray and thanked the man. Ruby and Yang had a specific spot for when they hang out at the hospital during being your daughter and niece to work day. It was a small booth in the corner of the cafeteria that overlooked the riverside of the city.

The two sat down, but neither of them ate. That pained look in his eyes prevented Yang from having any kind of appetite. It haunted her. She knew that wasn't just from the pain. The feeling of being helpless. Here she was eating cheesecake with her sister while her friend was probably dying on a bed.

No, she knew, she knew deep down that apart of him meant those words and the pain forced it out of him. She saw the look in his eyes the few times he broke down in front of her. The look of pure defeat, the need to give up. Now here was his chance, "Yang."

The blonde snapped out of it as she brought back into reality. "Sorry…"

"Yang… please talk to me… it might make you feel better…" Ruby pleaded as Yang just looked out the window.

Yang couldn't look her in the eyes. Yang couldn't pretend it was fine. She never felt helpless. She was Yang Xiao-Long, the girl who was always confident, always ready to go. Yet, here she was stunned into being a little girl. Here she was waiting for news that one of her closest friends could be dead for all she knew. "I don't know… I don't like how I feel. I just feel so…. useless."

Ruby nearly tackled her into a hug. "I'm sorry Yang." She was too out of it as her eyes started to tear up. Yang does not cry. No. she inhaled sharply as she tried to dispel the lump in her throat. "Hey," Ruby looked up at Yang.

Yang looked up. "We need to be there for him when he wakes up. We all do." Ruby said trying to comfort the older girl.

Yang nodded as she took a tiny bite of her cheesecake. She swallowed hoping it would alleviate the lump in her throat. It didn't.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Well... this was a slightly depressing chapter to write especially at work lol. Also... Hi guys! Been awhile!**

 **I wanted this chapter to really hit home for the characters. The fact that everyone knows they screwed up (or how they think screwed up) is on everyone's mind, the two most important being Yang and Raven. I wanted to touch on the fact when people feel helpless, they tend to feel guilty. They feel like them not being able to actually physically help Jaune makes them feel guilty. However, there is another variable, the all too strong, What if?**

 **So next chapter... heheh. Well Yang is going to show her fangs... (take that for what it's worth :)**

 **Also... I understand a few of you believe that Jaune's father showing up was too sudden and/or rushed. Trust me, I understand that as I wrote it and it was indeed rushed. Hear me out though, to me life on a certain level is expected. That's true, but in life, when we think everything is predictable, well... surprises can happen out of nowhere when we least expect them to pop up ya know and I wanted to hit that home last chapter, so it was intentionally rushed, and I will admit that, though it was more of an author's choice, not by accident.**

 **Alrighty... question... what did you guys think? Who do you think is going to break? How do you think this will affect other characters? Let me know! I love to hear from all my readers and it only inspires me to try harder! Questions, reactions, predictions, criticism, let me know!**

 **Reviews!**

 **Cpt. Lynx: My friend! *HUG* It's been awhile... work man... work. makes me hurt all over xD. WhiteKnight have been sunk... but some pieces might have been scavenged... who knows! A new ship could be rebuilt... or like you said, the dry dock completely destroyed... We will have to see where *Cue dramatic music* the winds of fate guide us, huh? Those puns though... I like you.**

 **Morgoth II: Thanks mate! Always appreciate it! Hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **DragonManMax: Downhill forever? mmmmmm... nah... but who knows, I don't... or maybe I do... I dk. Hey man, what about WhiteKnight? Or Arkos? Bah I don't know... all I do know is that these ships out on the open seas just ready for the Sauron submarine to strike xD. I rule these waves! *Cue evil laughter* I'm sorry...**

 **Also... legal ramifications... that was a typo... meant to say could ruin... or maybe that wasn't a typo... You'll never know... (it was totally a typo. My bad.) Hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **Jiore: Yeah... the truth is out... I guess we'll find out. But yeah that kind of truth isn't necessarily forgotten even if someone doesn't believe it... soooo... I guess we'll see how that affects people...**

 **As for legal ramifications, you are absolutely correct, Jaune's father is technically on probation even though charges were not filed. Remember, Jaune's mom didn't to charge him. Though, I will give a hint, remember where this encounter took place... on school grounds. Now Ozpin might take the side of the Branwens... but what about the superintendent and school board... that's a different issue altogether. So when looking at the legal ramifications, there are two aspects, the law itself and the school district.**

 **Guest: Hi there friend! Frankly... I'm a little disappointed by the fact that you won't pm me with your concerns or give me a chance... but clearly you haven't been paying attention to the whole point of this. So while you hide behind anonymity, just remember, the door is right there, you don't have to read this. Thanks bud.**

 **Deuce-M's Thanks bud. I'm glad you've been enjoying this! I won't lie, I wanted to try something slightly different from my usual stories.**

 **Yukas: *HUG* HELLO! Trust, there will be more moments between Weiss and Jaune... and Velvet will be less standoffish... eventually... (I AM NOT HINTING AT ANYTHING!) As for foreshadowing, you are absolutely right, some could have been done more, but apart of me doesn't regret the sudden drop in like that, adds more of legit, anything can happen *looks up to see UFO zipping around* Like that stuff xD.**

 **You want arkos? you want whiteknight? you want black knight? ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED! *Insert random ship here* xD**

 **I will confirm one ship that will NOT happen: JaunexVelvet. Shaded told me that I'm dead to him if I do it... soooo I don't wanna lose my co-author/beta.**

 **AlNation1: Hey my friend! Been awhile! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! Hopefully you'll like this one. Trust me, I'm prepping the Feels Bus for the Feeltrip (For good or bad... xD)**

 **Wes: OMG! WESSSSSSSSSSSSS I MISSED YOU! Hi bud! It's been a crazy long time mate! How are you doin?! I'm glad you liked the chapter! Hopefully, you liked this chapter! And no... I should be thanking you for your dedication and your support.**

 **HopeLie: Hi my friend! Yeah... I'm a jerk when it comes to cliffhangers xD I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! Hopefully you enjoyed this one!**

 **Caboose: Hey there my friend! Yeah... theres going to be a lot of tension.**

 **Anyway! Thanks for reading and your support. It trully means a lot!**

 **See you next time!**

 **Also... for those of you have been following me with some of my earlier stories... I'm reediting/continuing Corrupted Blood. My Vampire AU for RWBY, I won't lie, it's really rough, its one of my earlier fics. That's why I'm going to be reediting/revising. So if you follow it, keep your eyes open for it.**

 **Thanks as always!**

 **Lordxsauron**


	24. Chapter 24: What is Love?

**Chapter 24: What is Love?**

* * *

Blackness, darkness… a color or a lack of color that inspires dread.

A void. An eternal darkness.

 ***BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP***

 _God… what the hell….? The beeping is getting too loud_ …

 ***BEEP* BEEP* *BEEP***

A bright light shined into his eyes until he could no longer keep them closed. Sapphire eyes slowly cracked open, trying to adjust to the bright lights that seemed to make him feel like he was staring at the sun. _Wha…. Where….?_ A mental fog slowly started to fade slowly away.

 _Ohhh boy..._ He mentally groaned. It felt like he was run over by eighteen wheeler... or several, over his chest.

He tried to hoist himself up only to feel something pull his arm. He looked over to see an IV through his arm. _What?_ Beepings and other machines surrounded him as he started to take in his environment. _A hospital room._

The smell of sickliness, the smell of antiseptics… It wasn't a very pleasant nor was it comforting odor. It smelt... wrong. Not fully aware of his surroundings or of his current condition. He tried to lift himself up only to feel a tug on his arm and a pang of pain. _What the...?_ He looked down at his arm to see an IV in his arm. His eyes noted something white catching his attention, to only discover it was a lab coat, more of doctor's coat to be accurate. He looked up to be greeted by a very shocked Taiyang.

"Uhhh...? Hhhey there kiddo," Tai stuttered as he practically jumped out of his chair. "How are you feeling?"

"...alright." The boy responded only to wince in pain from parched throat causing the blonde man to scurry around the room practically like a bug. He produced a cup which he offered it to Jaune. He reached out with a slightly shaky hand. He raised the cup to his cracked lips took a sip.

It felt horrible, almost like drinking a cup of angry bees. He could only cough the water back up, causing Tai to grab a bunch of napkins to wipe away the water. "You wanna take it easy, bud. You went through quite an ordeal."

He nodded as he slowly sat up in his hospital bed. "...what time is it?"

Tai looked at his watch, "4:00" he yawned as he rubbed his eyes.

"At night?" He asked which earned a shake of the head.

"Morning."

Jaune slipped back into bed wracked with guilt. "I'm so sorry, Tai. I didn't mean for you to stay here." He could see the bags under his eyes, the guy looked like he barely slept and this was after pulling a twelve-hour shift before Jaune's heart attack.

The man simply gave a dismissive hand, "Don't worry bout it, everyone's here, so I decided to stay here."

 _Shit._ He lifted himself up and dangled his legs over the bed. "Whoa, bud, you shouldn't be getting out of bed," It was sound medical advice, though it was time for Jaune to ignore the request. He pushed himself out of bed only to nearly collapse on the floor. Thankfully Tai caught him just in time, helping up to his still shaky legs. "I'm going out, regardless." He said as he leaned on the IV carrier while helped him on the other side.

Tai shook his head, reluctantly helping the young man. "Stubborn." He said as they went down the hallway. "At least let me get you a wheelchair. You really really shouldn't be walking around after being sedated in such a short time."

 _Sedated? Dang._

For some reason, Jaune realized he wasn't going to win this argument, so he gave a slight nod. Moments later, his doctor came in with a wheelchair. "Give me a sec, have to readjust the IV." Tai said as he moved the medicine bag from its little pole to rest above the wheelchair." Once everything properly readjusted, Tai started to wheel him out of the room. The ICU was lined with doctors and nurses who checked room after room even at this ungodly hour. It felt cold in here… a little too cold. He looked down to realize that the only thing he was wearing was a hospital gown and thankfully, his undergarments. "Hey Tai….?"

"Mmmm?"

"Where are my clothes?" Jaune asked, feeling a little self-conscious.

"We had to remove them, standard procedure. You're probably going to need a shirt though…" He trailed off sheepishly.

 _Errrrr… What?_

"We had to rip it, needed to get to your chest with an EKG." The doctor explained.

That made sense… kind of? Yet that wasn't the only thing on his mind as the mental fog hadn't let up yet. "What happened?" Jaune asked as they went down the hallway past numerous rooms and nurses.

Tai looked down at him disbelieving. "You mean, you don't remember?" Jaune shook his head. "You had an 'episode.' Raven was able to get you here just in time." He tacitly left out his father and the fact he shouldn't be alive right now. "We had to sedate you..." Again he avoided the fact that they had given him a shot of adrenaline to prevent him from dying... or the dangerous combination of drugs that would have easily killed anyone.

"How bad was it?" Jaune asked in a somber voice.

"..." No response was never a good response.

They reached the door to the waiting room to be greeted by a rather heart warming scene. Qrow sleeping with an arm around his wife Summer who practically curled up in a small white cloaked ball. In front of them was Raven, chin down asleep her hand clasping Yang's who was, in turn, embracing Ruby. All of them with blankets draped over them.

Jaune couldn't help but take a mental picture that made him smile... yet that shadow crept in the back of his mind. _They should be home. They should be in their beds. They shouldn't be here for me_. "Why are they here…? Shouldn't they be home…?" Jaune looked up at Taiyang.

"They're here for you. I told them that I would be here, but that didn't stop them." He whispered placing a hand on his back. Jaune shook his head. _Real family. A real family._ He thought to himself as he was wheeled in with the door closing behind them.

Ruby must have been a light sleeper as one of her silver eyes peeked open tiredly as if to check in on everything. He watched as those tired silver orbs scanned until they reached him then the other eye opened up. Their eyes locked on until Ruby started to stir even more, a look of pure tired confusion, which was kind of cute, of course.

Then he assumed it clicked. The tired expression was replaced with one of relief. "Jaune…?" She called out tiredly

"Heya Ruby." He waved his hand slightly.

She blinked looking him over. "Are… are you alright?"

He gestured to the IV. "Pretty good, all things considered." He shrugged.

The girl blinked as if processing the statement. He could practically see the light bulb going off in her eyes.

"Ohmygod! You're awake!" She snapped awake realizing the entirety of the situation.

Ruby blinked trying to process his words. Her silver eyes wandered over to Yang who was still sleeping. "Yang." The younger girl shook her cousin only to receive no response.

"Yannnggg…" She shook more intently.

"Ruby… you don't have to-" Jaune tried to calm the younger girl before she woke everyone else up.

"Yang!" She nearly shouted causing others to stir.

"Rubes… what's goin…?" Qrow let out a yawn which woke up his wife. His red eyes wandered over to his daughter who just pointed. He followed the direction of the finger to be greeted by a Jaune… Wait… _Jaune?!"_

"Holy shit." He muttered

"Language!" His wife and daughter reprimanded. Summer turned to the blonde boy. "What he means is… Jaune what are you doing up? You should be resting!" She exclaimed

Jaune gave a sheepish shrug and smile as he wiped away sweat matted hair. "I just wanted to see how you guys are doing." He noted how Yang, as well as her mother, were passed out like rocks.

That's when he noticed how her arm was covered in dried blood and bloody bandages. "She tends to sleep away stress," Qrow explained as he got up and crouched in front of his sister. _How did she get those marks?_ He thought to himself. "And you know that Yang sleeps like a rock." He said as he shook his sister with no success. He shook more intensely calling her name out until two red eyes immediately shot awake as she practically leapt out of her chair ready to pounce. "Hey. Hey. Hey." Qrow held his hands up, "easy tiger."

The commotion caused Yang to finally stir, "Guys… what's going on?" An exhausted Yang muttered as she stretched her arms, and slowly blinked her lilac eyes awake from the shear stress induced exhaustion. "Errrrm….." She let out a loud yawn, "Guys."

She looked around to see that everyone was wide awake. "What did I miss…?" She asked a tad bit forcefully, getting annoyed at the lack of response. She looked around the room. Qrow, Summer, Ruby, Mom, Dad, and Jaune….

Her heart froze, skipping a beat. Jaune…

She rubbed her eyes, blinking rapidly as her jaw dropped slightly. No, this had to be a dream. The stress must be getting to her real good.

"Morning, Yang." Okay… this dream was getting to freaky, she blinked slowly for a minute then decided to put this mirage to the test.

She got up slowly as she lifted herself up. She dragged herself over, shutting her eyes and reopening them, expecting this specter from her dream to disappear. Yet she was only greeted with a slightly confused Jaune. She leaned in wrapping her arms around, expecting her arms to go through him only to be stopped by his solid form. It wasn't a dream… He was actually here. Yet everything felt so incredibly delayed... sluggish. "Don't ever do that again… please." Her throat tightened up as he tried to find the words for her gratitude… yet that didn't even fit, gratitude seemed too small of a word. She was just so thankful that he was here, with her, _alive._ "Yang… don't kill him." Ruby pulled on her shoulder.

She blinked after a few moments of trying to register what her cousin said. The blonde girl shook her head to realize that her body and her mind weren't working in sync… She wasn't too aware of her surroundings her own strength. She immediately let go causing him to flop in his chair like fish with an "-oof"

Jaune immediately sucked in some air, feeling the ability to breathe, his cheeks slightly red. He looked around to see that Yang and Ruby were actually happy to see him awake. Yet the adults… they seem a little off. Qrow darted his eyes around the room, avoiding contact as Tai fiddled with charts, trying to give him an excuse not to talk. Raven stared at the floor, despondent to her surroundings. Summer was the one that actually looked at him.

Did he do something? Were they angry with him? "Jaune… listen to me very carefully." Summer crouched beside him. "You're father is-"

Jaune's pulse started to rise. _My father...? What about him...? What did he do... Did he...? do something?_ "Summer… not now… he's been through enough." Raven reanimated back to fiery old self as she crossed her arms, giving her a _don't start shit_ look.

"He has to know." Summer countered with her own look.

"It can wait until later." Raven practically hissed.

"Look at what he did to your arm!" Summer blurted out immediately, covering her mouth with her hands and earning daggers from Raven. "It's clear he means business."

Jaune stared at the black haired woman who crossed her arms and shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "I'm fine." She grunted. "We can talk about it later."

 _Badump Badump Badump_

 _He did that to her...? His own father...?_ His already pale face started to loose even more color.

"Mom?" Yang sat down beside her mother. Her mother avoided the subject all night last night. She hadn't said how she got so cut so badly. _He. Jaune's dad…. Her… arm…?_ She looked at her mother, then back to Jaune, then back. God, it was just so piece everything together when you're exhausted and people keep hiding stuff from you. "Wha-"

"I'm fine." She insisted. Though according to what Jaune saw, that was the largest lie he had ever heard. Yet it was Summer who diverted his attention.

Jaune inhaled sharply, settling his nerves. "It was my fault." Summer pleaded, taking his hand, "I'm so sorry for allowing this to have happened. I just couldn't-"

"Jaune… I… if he presses… it will turn into a court case. I need to know if you want to fight it. I can start-"

 _What... what she talking about...? A court case?_ "W-w-what?" He stuttered as his pulse pounded a little bit faster. "What do you mean?"

"A legal case..." Summer gave a genuine sorrowful look. "He might try to take you."

Jaune color completely drained.

 _No. Never again. Never fucking again._ He would rather die. Yet a slight problem

Jaune couldn't help but to see everyone's worried faces, except for Raven whose gaze fell back to the floor. If he did fight it… where would he go? "I… I don't want to… I don't want to leave…" He could feel his heart quicken.

"Then don't leave," Raven stated as a matter of fact as she started to look up. She looked towards her husband who was leaning up against the doorway who simply nodded. "Worst case scenario, we'll take you in."

That in of itself caused his heart to stop.

 _No… No…. I just can't. I've caused so much trouble for them._ His eyes drifted back the cuts and scrapes on Raven's arms. One thought filled his mind: _When, not if, happens again; it'll be worse much worse. "_ Guys… I can't."

Raven huffed in annoyance as her eyes narrowed. "Why not?"

He gestured at her arm. "Look at what he did to you!" It was pretty crystal clear as day. The heart monitor started to beep a little faster. "Next time it'll be worse! It'll always be worse. I'm putting all of you in danger, and that is something I cannot allow. He's after me! Not any of you!"

Something in the blonde snapped hearing that pitiful voice... that pitiful explanation. "Shut up," Yang muttered in an exhausted voice.

Jaune's mouth was agape as all eyes were trained on Yang. He shook his head, regaining his composure. "Yang, I-"

Her lilac eyes shown with an intense anger to the point of almost flickering with fire. "I said shut up. You don't get to make that choice. We know the risks. We know the danger. You're only thinking about yourself, and that is _fucking selfish._ " _Wow._ Everyone was stunned by the harshness of her words.

"You never, NEVER, consider any of the good things about yourself. We aren't going to kick you out like some kind of stray fucking animal."

"That's because there are none! I don't belong anywhere! How do you not see that?!" He shouted right back causing Yang to jump up and tower over the boy, her exhausted, glazed over eyes stared down at the blonde, her fist raised as if to strike him down, to smite a bug..

 _BadumpBadumpBadumpBadump._ His heart pounded in his sore chest. _BadumpBadumpBadumpBadump._

Lilac eyes met ocean blue. A contest of wills and Jaune would not back down from this. He firmly believed that what he was doing was the most righteous. "Yang." Her father appeared beside her, his hand around her wrist. "Go outside. Now."

The two blondes didn't break eye contact. He could see she desperately wanted to connect the fist to his face. "What are you waiting for?" Jaune said. No hint of bitterness, almost saddening guilt. Almost as if he had given up and was begging for it. "Do it, Yang. I deserve it."

The two stood there. "Yang." Her mother demanded

"Hit me." Jaune looked her dead in the eye, "I'm used to it."

Lilac eyes blinked, realizing that her hand was raised, her fist clenched into a fist. _What have I done…._ She broke eye contact looking at her fist, how it was so close to his face. It clicked, this entire time she was running on gas fumes, the only thing going was adrenaline in her deprived state. The mental exhaustion overwhelmed her. She realized how badly she had fucked up. "Outside." Her mother placed a grip on the blonde's shoulder.

Without saying a word, she let go storming out of the waiting room with a loud bang. Ruby looked torn between staying or going after Yang. She finally made her decision and darted after her cousin. Qrow and Summer looked at one another unsure how to proceed before they followed the two other girls.

With the click of the door, Raven plopped herself down as did Tai beside her. "What the hell was that?" Raven finally spoke up as she tapped her up lip with her finger. The anger clearly etched in her face and fiery red eyes.

"It's the truth," Jaune said

"How?" Taiyang asked.

Jaune eyes drifted down to the floor. "All I have ever done is take. I have taken from you. I used you and I have never given back. In the end, all I will do is bring more hardship and pain." He gestured to her arm, "I'm proof of it." He cleared his throat holding back his tears. "I love you all too much to hurt any of you."

He watched the two adults carefully. The woman was a statue, the only sign of life was her breathing. On the other hand, her husband could not sit still as he sat down, constantly fidgeting, as if not sure how to procede. He inhaled sharply, breaking his silence, "Kid, you are so incredibly stubborn. I think some people," Tai looked at his wife, "are starting to rub off on you." She inhaled slightly making Jaune aware that she was actually fully aware.

"Jaune I want you listen to me." The light heartedness Tai's voice faded away. "You remember when you couldn't sleep when you found out your father was free?"

Jaune's eyes flickered upward.

"I said you were one of us. You are family. For the short amount of time that we've known you, we accepted. Heck, I'll speak for myself and Rae, we've come to love you."

There it was. The dreaded "L" word. Love. _Why. Why though? No. No. It was incomprehensible, inconceivable._ It was above his ability to understand. His eyes shifted over to Raven who looked at him through the corner of her eye with a slight nod.

"The sooner you get your head out of your ass, the better," Raven muttered. "Family shouldn't be conditional. So get used to it."

Jaune blinked, processing everything. He remembered that night well. It clicked why the both of them were downstairs that night. They were there to make him feel safe. That night, Tai made the bold proclamation that Jaune was family. He realized that with the sense of family came love, something foreign to him.

 _XXXXZXXZXXXXXZXXXZZZ_

"So much horse shit!" Yang threw her hands up in the air she walked down the hallway, ignoring the strange looks of nurses, doctors, and patients alike. "God… I'm so fucking stupid." She sighed tiredly. Why did she do that? Why didn't she control her anger? Why couldn't she just keep her mouth shut?

Yang stormed even Though she could pitter-patter of boots behind her. "Yang!" She heard the voice of her beloved cousin call out yet; she wanted, needed to be alone.

"Yang!"

The blonde kept marching as she kept her eyes forward until she crashes into a young Ruby Rose. "Yang!"

She slammed her fist into the wall as she looked down at the floor, her blonde hair hiding the amount of hurt plastered on her face. "Ruby…. I…. almost lost it there."

"It's alright, Yang…" She placed a hand on the distraught girl's shoulder. "You're just tired… you weren't thinking."

Yang shuddered at her touch. "No." She pounded the wall with a fist, "No it's not an excuse, being tired is not an excuse. I'm sure I reminded him of his father right there."

"But you didn't! You didn't hit him! It'll be alright."

Yang slowly lifted her head up, her bangs partly concealing the tear streaks that ran down her cheeks. "You don't get it. I want him to see that.. that… there is good in him. He's done a lot for me and I want him to see it. Yet I just snapped and ended up becoming like his father causing him to fall even more." She pounded her head against the wall with a loud thud.

"I think-"

"It doesn't matter what you think! I was so close to hurting my closest friend! I'm a horrible friend!" She slid down the wall, embracing her knees and buried her head. "A horrible human being…"

Ruby sat down beside draping an arm around her shoulder. "Okay, so you might have lost it… but you know deep down it was for a good reason. Things are tense right now but give it some time and we'll all forget about this." She continued on, "I might not know everything that happened to him, but I do know that he knows you wouldn't ever hurt him. I think you know that deep down too."

She couldn't accept that as she shook her head. She knew how broken Jaune was when she first met him. "Whats up firecracker?"

The blonde looked up to Uncle Qrow and Aunt Summer sitting across from her only causing her to bury her head only deeper. "Oh come on Sunflower, open up." Summer pleaded.

"I'm fine." She said sharply.

"Yeah, Yeah, sure and I'm a bird." Qrow shot back sarcastically which earned an elbow to his side by his wife. "What's got you down?"

"She thinks that she's a horrible friend because she almost snapped at Jaune." Ruby clarified as Yang tried to bury herself even more.

She didn't need to think that, she knew that. She knew she fucked up. "I know I fucked up… You don't need to rub it in!"

"Yang we aren't trying to rub it in." Summer tried to lift her spirit.

"Listen hot stuff." Qrow used his teacher voice which caused the blonde girl to shrink away if that was even more possible. "You're just like your mother. You know that?"

The blonde peeked upward. "She was…" Qrow searched for the word

"Aggressive." Summer finished the thought.

Qrow nodded "Aggressive, as a kid. Always ready to fight at a moment's notice. You inherited her stubbornness"

"A Branwen trait." Summer explained.

"Yeah, yeah, shhhh. Yang, you're a stubborn kid. If you see something wrong, you aren't goin to ignore it. There's nothing really wrong with that…"

Yang shot him a disbelieving look. "Qrow… I almost beat his face in… one of my best friends…. who just nearly died. That's a textbook definition of fucked up.."

"Yeah, my sister would have done the same thing if she were your age. The most important thing is that you didn't… and even more important you know what you did was bad, very bad. I mean you were exhausted, tired... that makes us do some pretty funky stuff."

"Like beat a nearly dead kid. Yeah... funky." She rolled her eyes.

The blonde shook her head. "Like, I said you, you inherited your mother's aggressiveness and stubbornness, which as I pointed _again..._ in combination with a lack of sleep and stress, is a shitty combo, you also inherited your father's heart. You hold family and friends above all things, something not a lot of people do these days. A lot of things were going on in there to cause that shit to go down. Sure you let your temper go, but you wouldn't have hurt him, and he knows it. You weren't your normal self, none of us our right now, and I think he would understand that."

"He…. he… wanted me to hit him.." Yang looked at them with tearful eyes. "He wanted me to hurt him."

"He's just hurting… though he may not seem like it, he's hurting badly…" Summer reassured her.

"It's not fair… it's not fair that one person to be put through all of this."

"Yeah… well, people do go through this." Qrow spoke up, averting his eyes. "It's not a pretty thing and it can break people." He spoke as if he had personal experience. "But it happens, what matters, is who they share it with. He shared it with because he trusts you, more so than his 'father.'"

Yang looked at her uncle before slowly getting up. "Go get him, tiger."

The three of them watch the blonde walk back down to the waiting room. "Who knew you were so good with words." Summer doted on him.

He smirked, "I'm not," which earned him a peck on the lips from his wife.

"Gross!" Ruby shot up and darted towards her cousin.

Yang was on a mission as she felt her hand move towards the handle of the door. She sighed, steadying her nerves as she opened the door. "You can do this!" Ruby cheered in a whispered voice.

She pushed through to see her mother instantly lock eyes with her, raising an eyebrow. Before she could say anything, Tai put a hand on his wife's shoulder as if to say _Let them sort it out._

Yang took several steps forward as she felt Jaune's eyes track her every movement.

"Jaune,"

"Yang,"

"I'm sorry,"

"I'm sorry,"

"What?"

"What?"

"You go first."

"You go first."

At that, the two blondes cracked smiles. "Yang, I'm sorry…. I was too caught up in my faults to realize I was hurting others."

"Yang nodded appreciatively before making her confession, "Jaune, I'm sorry. I should have been more supportive. I've been running on fumes and with little sleep… and I wasn't thinking clearly… I know it isn't an excuse. I didn't realize how much pain and confusion you are possibly in. I should have been more understanding."

Someone cleared their throats behind him as the blonde turned her head to see her mother with an expectant look, "and for almost beating your face in."

"Psht don't sweat it- oof!" He found himself being picked up by the rather impressively strong Yang Xiao-Long who was now hugging him to death.

Normally he'd be fine with this, heck even happy, yet this was the second time he came across this problem since he woke up. A: He was in a hospital gown that left him feeling a little… errr… exposed and a beautiful girl… _No bad don't think like that_.. was hugging rather closely. _Jaune! Control yourself._ He screamed at himself. B: He couldn't breathe….

he couldn't tell if he was turning red from bodily reactions or because he couldn't breathe. "Alright Yang, can you not kill him?" Her father warned her. "Again."

"Heh.." Yang lowered "oops, sorry."

"No worries." He sat back down, trying to uh, make himself feel… less exposed. "Guys… he spoke up when everyone was back in the room. "I need to get something off my chest," He sighed as he felt a lump in his throat as he looked at every one of them. Raven, the one who took him in. Taiyang, the one who saved him. Summer, the one who saved him from his father. Yang, a true friend that he always wanted. Qrow, the one that allowed him to stay in the band. Ruby, the one that he felt he earned someone's trust. All of these people saved his life in a very real way. "...I…." He could feel tears develop in his eyes ".… I would have given up hope…. I would be..." He broke down as tears ran down his cheek as he could it finish the sentence, yet everyone knew. The unspoken thought, the conclusion. _Childish. Worthless. Pathetic. "_ I'm sorry for being like this…. you don't need to see me- ooof!" He grunted as he found himself embraced by Raven.

"There is no shame in tears." She said in a warm voice. Before he knew it, he was surrounded by everyone. Everyone who loved him. Conditions brought them together, but their feelings for him were unconditional. He couldn't tell if his own tears were that of sadness or joy or maybe a combination of both.

He tried to clear his throat to steady his voice. "Thank you. Everyone."

"What time is it?" Raven asked as she poked her head up from the group huddle.

"6:00 in the morning," Tai answered back as the group slowly broke apart.

"Shit." She hissed

"Language!" Summer reprimanded, bopping each one in the back of the head.

"We're canceling Band Camp," Qrow confirmed his sister's thought.

"No, no you aren't." Everyone turned to Jaune who was dead serious.

"Jaune… we want to be here for you. This happened on our watch." Raven insisted.

"I will be fine. But you are not going to cancel band over me."

"Yeah!" Ruby voiced, "We'll keep him company."

"If anything happens, we'll give you a call." Yang almost pleaded as her mother shot her brother a look.

"Besides, I'm off today, if the other docs think he should be released, I can take them home."

"Tai you've been here for over 24 hours, you need rest." Raven crossed her arms.

"So I'll take them home." Summer jumped practically waving her hand like a child.

The black haired woman brought her hand to her cheek as she shook her head. "I'm not going to win this, am I?"

"Don't think so, sis." Qrow tapped his chin in thought.

"Fine." Raven sighed as her crimson eyes stared at each one of them, "But if anything, and I mean _anything,_ comes up, you call. Am I clear?" Her voice dropped to a deadly cold whisper as everyone nodded fervently. The woman cracked a tired smile as she pinched the bridge of her nose, "Today is going to suck…" she left the room followed by her brother.

"Rae! Wait up." She turned to see Qrow chasing after her as she crossed her arms impatiently. She honestly needed a bite to eat and maybe some coffee…

"What?" She asked as he caught up and the two made their way down the hallway.

"You know there is one thing we have to do…"

She brushed off his concern with a wave of the hand, "What would that be?"

Qrow placed a hand on her shoulder causing both of them to stop, "We need to tell Ozpin." He knew exactly how she would react to that statement.

"No." she growled.

"Raven…"

"He wouldn't want that… it'll only draw more attention to him, and you heard him, he just wants to be normal."

"None of this is normal!" Qrow raised his voice in disbelief. "Like it or not, we're in damage control, now."

"We don't need to. It's not like they watch the footage 24/7."

How did she not see, "Raven…. open your eyes, you're more perceptive than this. If Anthony Arc pushes legally, we won't have any grounds unless Ozpin backs us up."

He could see the reasoning was starting to stick as her confidence slowly gave away, "Yeah…. you're right." She sighed as she shook her head, "I'm sorry, I'm just-"

Qrow embraced her, "Hey it's fine, it's been a hectic couple of hours. Just looking out for my sis."

She cracked a smile as she broke away, clasping his shoulder with her hands, "Come on, we've got time for some breakfast, my treat."

* * *

 _What is love?_

 _That's is one of life's greatest mysteries. Now, when it comes to this question, people fall into multiple camps, but I'll break it down into two large camps._

 _First camp, we have: Love is just an imbalance hormonal chemicals. A purely chemical and biological concept. It is a species' way of ensuring procreation and the survival of the next generation. Not a very romantic or warm camp._

 _Second, you could say, is the intimate connection between one person with another person or a group of person. This camp almost defies an explanation, as love transcends human explanation... it just is._

 _I won't lie, I used to be part of the first camp... and sometimes, I still think like that. I was raised in an environment that made me question these kinds of things. Sure my parents may have loved me, sure my siblings may have loved me... but I didn't feel that deep connection. Yet the moment I was taken... something changed. It was hard for me to note, I couldn't really explain how or why, but I felt a connection._

 _Yet I question why these relations were formed. Was Raven acting on purely maternal instinct governed by chemical reactions in the brain? Same with Yang, why did she except? Did she see me a valuable resource for the familial "pack?" Why did Tai except me? To assert his alpha male dominance over another male?_

 _I doubt it, hearing their thoughts throughout the years. Yet these statements were slightly true to some degree. Raven practically adopted and treated me as if I had her blood. Yang treated me like a dear friend and sibling. And to Tai? I was the son he never had. Yet... I felt something... going beyond basic evolutionary survival traits and chemical reactions._

 _I felt that connection that transcends words and explanation. I felt that familial connection, that deep meaning, feeling. I felt like I was truly accepted like I belonged. Like I was genuinely loved._

 _And I was scared._

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hi guys! You're friendly, benevolent ruler of Mordor is back with some more Forlorn.**

 **So I won't beat the bush, but this chapter... was a hard to right. I have some explaining to do. Yang. Yang... did some things that might seem out of character for her. (aka almost beating the crap out of Jaune) Here's my take on that situation. In the show, her semblance is basically her anger giving her strength and I wanted to portray that in a more humanesque manner. Anger is very primal emotion. I wanted Yang to have a temper in this story, and she will. However, she is able (for the most part...) to keep her anger in check. Yet when she gets going... watch out.**

 **Anywho, you might be wondering... hey! She wouldn't beat up Jaune! I would agree... except now. Staying up all night, with the stress of her friend almost dying, getting practically zero sleep, dims one's ability to control their emotions. Mental exhaustion overrides a person's ability to regulate their own emotions, thus leading to a person operating on emotion. That being said, if someone has a temper, and is sleep deprived and stressed, they will overreact to literally anything, and when they do... they'll go off like a firecracker. As soon as she realizes what she has done, she is going to feel absolutely horrible...**

 **So to me this was a way of portraying Yang's semblance into a real world situation. Just some thoughts from the author. Let me know what you think!**

 **Also 4-5 more chapters before the start of the school years (maybe shorter... idk... im tired and rambling at this point... lol)**

 **So I have a question: What did you guys think of the chapter? What has Jaune done for Yang? or the others? Why would she be thankful? What did you think of that rather tense standoff? How much do you hate me lol. Let me know! I love to hear all of my readers' thoughts, reactions, predictions, questions, and criticisms. I want it all!**

 **REVIEWSSSSSSSsssssssssss**

 **MorgothII: Again, thank you :D Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Cpt. Lynx: Ohhhh man... you know what... it's been too long! Yeah... I know... I tried to get what I can. Editing is not my strength clearly lol. As for winds of fate... I hadn't even considered that as RenxJaune... at all... holy crrap man... like... that's impressive! We will Ren though :) though shipping... will be more... traditional... *looks towards Nora***

 **Wes: Oh man! It's been a long time! I should thank you for reading! It means a great deal it only keeps me going. One of those ships is confirmed but I aint anything ;)**

 **Yukas: *Hug* We can get through... it's only up from here ( or is it...?!) As for Yang feeling useless... I picture as a person who feels like if they can't help someone she desperately cares about, she personally feels guilty for not helping. She's... very extreme with her emotions... as this chapter shows... RavenxJaune...? *shake my head* (I'm debating sinking another ship for that comment.) xD**

 **SuperHappySpider: Hello my friend! Welcome to the story... can I just say that I love that name lol. As JaunexYang... no comments on shipping XD, but I do love the interactions between the two. A lot of fun to write. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

* * *

 **Next time: Principal Ozpin has a little chat with the Branwen teachers. We'll also see some Weiss... oh gosh! OH NO!**

 **Now... I'm going to bed... I'm exhausted from work!**

 **See yall next time, as always, I'm so thankful to all of my readers and reviewers. Without you, I probably would have stopped writing by now, you guys only encourage my love to write.**

 **Thank you,**

 **Lordxsauron**


	25. Chapter 25: Stuck in the Middle

**CH 25: Stuck in the Middle**

 _I've always felt alone my whole life, for as long as I can remember. I don't know if I like it… or if I'm just used to it, but I do know this: Being lonely does things to you, and feeling shit and bitter and angry all the time just… eats away at you._

 _It changes how you think about things. Changes how you act towards people. You become a monster you never wanted to be, but you feel so comfortable in the skin._

 _Yet, when you find yourself in the company of those who care about you, you either start to piece things together... or you sink... further and further into what you are most comfortable in._

* * *

With a lot of insistence, Jaune was forced back to his room, though under a great amount of reluctance. "Up you go, mister," Tai said as he tucked Jaune in with Yang and Ruby snickering.

"Hey, I don't need comments from the peanut gallery." He peeked over to the two girls who were only encouraged to giggle at the sight of their tucking their friend in. "Thanks, Tai."

The blonde male nodded as he tidied up the mess of medical wires. "There!" Tai clapped his hands together as Jaune looked to see that there wasn't a huge mess of tubes and wires.

The white hooded woman appeared beside Tai, tapping him on the shoulder, "Tai did you eat anything?"

"No….."

The silver eyed woman gave the kids a wink, "Well let's go."

"But-"

"No buts mister, you've haven't eaten anything or got any sleep. Let's go."

With the Summer and Taiyang were out of the room much to the amusement of the three teenagers. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing Tai getting treated like a man-baby." He shot a look Yang, "No offense."

Yang giggled as she dragged a chair beside his bed, "None taken, he knows he's a baby."

The blonde boy patted the end of his bed, gesturing for Ruby to take a seat. "You sure?" She asked hesitantly.

He could only roll his eyes, "Yes, Ruby, I'm sure." Immediately, the girl hopped up on the end of his bed as he laid back down. He picked up the remote to the t.v. as he flicked channel to channel. "I'm sorry I'm making you guys stay here. You guys didn't really have to stay; I'm fine."

Yang ran her hand through her hair in frustration, "We have already been through this… We're here because we care and know you'd do the same."

The more important question is how are you feeling?" Ruby asked.

"And don't tell us, _'you're fine.'_ " Yang chimed in, sounding a little bitter.

"Sore…" He rubbed his chest gently.

"What did it feel like? You know, when you…"

"Ruby!"

"No, it's fine…" Jaune raised his hand, "Felt like… I don't know, a flip of the switch. At times, it felt like I was going numb then out of nowhere, it felt like I ran over... the pain just so unimaginable." The girl only nodded as the three fell into an awkward silence.

"So… when you get out…" Yang tried to change the subject, "All of us are going to have a movie night!"

Ruby looked at the girl as if she lost her mind. "Yang, I'm sure he needs his rest. I mean-"

"Let's do it!"Jaune cut her off, trying to soothe over the awkwardness he felt partly responsible for creating. While he felt guilty about the whole but he felt lighter, more carefree, considering everything that had happened.

"Yessssss," Yang grin only grew. "I'm sure my mom would be totally cool with it. Dad will just pass out anyway when he gets home."

"You know… I don't know about movies…" Jaune sighed as he looked up the t.v. "If I'm going to be stuck here watching t.v. For most of the day."

"Halothon?" Ruby asked with an almost childish grin.

Yeah, that was a no-brainer, "Halothon." The two blondes confirmed, glaring at each other. An old score had to be settled.

* * *

It had been a long morning for the Branwen. Qrow had made the phone call with Raven sitting in. The conversation was brief with Qrow explaining the situation. Now Ozpin requested to meet with the two of them later today.

After finishing their breakfast at Poppaz and made their way to the school. After taking a brief twenty-minute nap, they made their way to the parking lot which was the summer home for the band. As students started to arrive, both siblings looked at one another and let out a sigh; it was going to be a long day.

Raven kept in ear shot in percussion where she could hear the hushed questions of Cardin and Russell while also noting how Weiss somewhat concerned.

It finally clicked that Jaune was not coming in today. As usual, Percussion headed back to the school and started their warm ups. It didn't feel right as Raven clicked her sticks at the beat she expected everyone to follow. Yet that wasn't happening.

Weiss tried to power through, beating her notes, trying to reinforce the beat. Yet Cardin and Russell were either playing too fast or too slow. It was clear how essential Jaune was to the unit.

She held up an 'x'. "What's going on guys? You're all over the place."

Weiss crossed her arms, glaring at Cardin and Russell. "I've been keeping beat."

Raven nodded while giving an expecting look. "That's true, but you were trying to drown out the others." Weiss seemed to have deflated the criticism. The percussion leader shot her icy cold blue eyes over to the snickering percussionists, "Boys attention!" Their instructor called out.

The two boys snapped to attention as the black haired woman circled like a hawk circling rabbits. "What's so funny?" She eyed their every movement looking for any sign of them breaking their stance. "Let's hear it."

The two boys bit their tongues as they stared straight ahead. "No? Is nothing funny now? A shame. Let's be clear, you two fell behind or sped up, at least Weiss tried to drown out your horrendous playing."

That instantly dampened everyone's mood as they stood at attention. "At ease." Raven sighed as she leaned on the stage, tapping her chin in thought only to notice Qrow standing off in the distance next Principal Ozpin, "Take fifteen minutes and come back prepared and with clearer minds. Dismissed."

She hopped off the stage and walked over to her new guests. "I apologize for visiting. I wish it were under better circumstances." He said before taking a sip from his coffee mug. The three of them took a walk down the empty, dimly lit hallways.

"Qrow told me his side of the story, but I would like to hear it from you, Mrs. Branwen."

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the man who led them down to the office, "If you heard his story then why do you need me to explain?"

"Well, multiple perspectives often result in new insights. Both of you are good people and excellent teachers who went beyond the call of duty. However, the law may not see it like that. For me to help you, I need to hear from you."

Raven nodded slowly, still weary of Ozpin. Honestly, she had nothing against the man, but she was still wary of any position of authority especially when it came to personal matters. "Fine."

The three of them reached the middle school office where Ozpin gestured them to enter. They made their way to the conference room where they took their seats. "You may begin."

"Where do you want me to start?"

"Start where you wish."

Raven nodded as she brought her interlaced hands up to the table. She confessed, and she hated herself for it. She started from the very beginning. How she met Jaune and how she knew something was off with him with his first emotional outburst. How he just pushed away, and eventually broke down, letting some idea of how bad his life was. Then she offered the deal; she would help him to get out or if he wanted to stay in. She outlined his options and promised to help him any way she could.

"And you didn't report this to CPS?" Ozpin intertwined his fingers.

"Sir, I know how that system works." Raven narrowed her eyes. "It lets down more kids then it should save. So I offered him the choice and told him what to expect. He made an informed adult decision."

"You broke protocol," Ozpin stated as a fact.

"The protocol is broken." Raven retorted back as she balled her hands into fists. The man simply hummed as he gestured for her to continue.

Then… the heart condition… "Let me straighten this straight before you continue." Ozpin politely interjected. "You knew that one of your students has a disability and you actively allowed him to participate in band. More so, you didn't tell me?"

"Yessir, I allowed him-" Qrow started only to be cut off.

"No, sir. I convinced my brother to allow Jaune to stay in the band as well as not informing you. The fault is mine." Raven shot a warning glare to Qrow.

"You do realize how much trouble this could get you in?" Ozpin said neutrally as he took a sip from his cup.

"Fully." Raven nodded solemnly.

"Then why jeopardize your career?" He narrowed his eyes, "Why risk being thrown in prison?"

"Jaune's request, sir."

The gray haired man nodded slowly as he leaned back into his chair "I see… I'm sorry, please continue.

So the recounting continued as Raven explained her desire to help the poor blonde. Then she reached the Summer Incident. It broke her heart to explain, just to remember the fateful night. "He called me, and I rushed over to see how I could help." Raven could see that Ozpin was studying her intently.

"You gave your a student your personal number and he called you?"

"Yessir."

"And you took him in for the night? Of his own free will? Was there anything… illegal going on between the two of you?" The woman's mouth was agape. _How dare he even think of such things._ "I'm sure you understand that I need you to answer these questions truthfully."

"How dare you." She growled, her crimson eyes flickering with fiery rage, "you even imply anything of the sort!" She slammed her fist on the table with a loud thud. "Just because I went through some shit as a kid-" Qrow immediately clamped her mouth shut.

"What she means is of course not." He could see her sister relax as she slumped back down into her chair as the man simply hummed to himself.

After a few minutes, Oxpin dared to poke the pissed off bear. "If you wish to come clean, now would be the time."

Raven slammed her fist on the table, "You are out of line! I have served this school district faithfully for fifteen years! Not once was I reprimanded, and you dare charge me with having made sexual advances with one of my students? I was helping an abused child, not abusing them!" Immediately, Qrow placed his hand on her shoulder telling her to cool it before she did something she was going to regret.

One incredibly tense minute went by before Ozpin pushed his classes up.

"I see… so let me ask you something, what is Jaune to you."

The black-haired woman narrowed her crimson eyes as she suspected something was amiss. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what is the relationship between you and Jaune."

She never even thought about it, she just kind of accepted the relationship between her and him. She looked at the old man who was looking at her expectantly. "I… I don't know… he just reminds me of myself as a kid."

Oozing nodded as he hid facial expression behind intertwined hands. "Go on."

"I had it rough as a kid; we had it rough." She gestured to Qrow, who nodded, "But we had each other. Jaune… Jaune didn't have anyone."

Ozpin raised an eyebrow, "So you've taken him under your wing?"

The woman nodded. "Indeed."

"Would I be wrong if I said that you look at him as a son?"

Raven's eyes widened as that single statement that punched her right in the face. In a way, she always knew it, felt it. She looked at Qrow who seemed to be anticipating the answer as well. He must have known where the question was going. "Yes." She stated resolutely. "He's apart of the family as far as I'm concerned."

"Thoughts, Qrow?" Ozpin asked.

"I consider the boy family as well."

Ozpin let out almost a sigh of relief. "Well, that's commendable, truly it is. This is beyond the call of a teacher and serves as examples to follow… even with your… unorthodox methods, but the law will see it differently. As far as I'm concerned if you want to keep your career intact, you'll either have to give him up to his family or formerly adopt him." He shook his head sadly, "Though that won't do anything if charges of neglecting civic responsibilities are filed."

This was the one thing she wanted to avoid for the boy's sake. If this was going to court… Jaune reputation could easily be demolished. "Shit." She breathed out. Either way, Jaune was going to be in for a rude awakening

* * *

"So we're good to go?" Jaune was ready to get out of here being cooped up in bed all day.

Ruby and Yang managed to keep themselves occupied with the t.v. but Jaune was itching to get back into his real clothes. "Just about." Taiyang put on a pair of gloves as he pulled out the needle in his arm. "There you go." He pointed to the dresser behind everyone "there are your clothes if you want to get out of that thing."

"Yes please." Jaune practically jumped up and raced into the bathroom with a sense of new purpose and vigor. A few minutes he returned with a pair blue shorts and gray t-shirt (which Summer quickly picked up at the gift store). "I will never forget how nice clothes are."

"So I guess I'll take Ruby home then." Summer smiled as collected her cloak.

"Yeahhh about that…." Yang drew out with an almost pleading look.

"Can I spend the night with Yang and Jaune. Pretty please!?" The smaller version of Summer clamped down on her mom's arm who simply shrugged

"I don't see why not, Tai."

"Always fine with it." He shrugged as he got the paper for Jaune to sign. "Why don't you stop by the house, I'll let Rae and Qrow know."

"You sure? I don't wanna-"

"Yeah, Summ, it's fine." Tai shook his head with a smile. Jaune couldn't help but simply be amazed at how cohesive, how… together this family was. This was a stark one-eighty from what he grew up with. He couldn't help but smile.

Yet he knew dark clouds were looming ahead for this family. Him being here with them would only bring harm. However, they stated explicitly that he would not be left behind. "Just sign here." Tai handed him a clipboard with a huge stack of papers.

"What is all this?" Jaune stared the behemoth of a packet.

"Insurance billing contracts, the disclosure of medical information to primary physician and cardiologist, and release forms," Tai said as if he had gone over this with a great many patients.

"Uh…. sure." He took the pen and signed it in cursive. He hopped out of his bed on still shakey legs which Yang immediately draped his arm over her shoulder.

"Gosh, you need to lose some weight."

"Me? You're the one who goes to Pappaz every other night."

"Hey, don't be a hater. You're just jealous of my figure." Yang gave him a playful smirk. Taiyang ran out ahead of everyone and got the car. By the time they reached outside the car was parked outside. Ruby held the door open while Yang helped him in. "Thanks, you two."

The drive back to the Xiao-Long-Branwen resident was a quiet and relaxed affair, causing Jaune to lightly doze off a few times. "Home sweet home," Tai pointed out almost like a child, the sheer exhaustion, and the promise of a bed almost too powerful for the grown adult to not sound like a child. Jaune opened the car to find that he was struggling to even to walk. "Sorry bud, its the sedatives." Tai warned as his daughter helped him up to his feet.

"Come on big guy, let's get you inside." Yang helped him in with Ruby following. Summer arrived moments behind them in her own car. As he started to walk, he could feel some feeling returning to his numb legs. By the time he reached the door, he eased off of Yang. By the time he was inside, he felt somewhat normal.

Though stairs would be another challenge entirely. "Why don't you guys stay down here for tonight?" Tai suggested as he looked over Jaune with concern.

That was the greatest suggestion he had ever heard. "Would you mind if we hooked up the Xbox then?" Yang asked as she gave puppy dog eyes.

Her father rustled her hair which earned a swat of the hand, "Sure thing honey." He turned to face the other blonde. "I'll bring down a fresh change of clothes for you so you don't have to go up to the stairs. You're going to have to really take it easy, anesthesia and that medicine we gave you stays in the system for a couple of days"

He started to climb the steps before Jaune felt the urge to speak up, "Tai," the man turned around, "Really thank you, appreciation doesn't describe how I feel."

Tai simply gave a huge heart warming smile, "Not a problem bud."

Yang went upstairs with her father to disconnect her Xbox as Jaune and Ruby made their way to the living room. Immediately, he noticed Ruby went over to the couch and started to move it to in front of the t.v. He started to move when Ruby looked over, "You stay put mister, you aren't lifting a finger today."

"But-"

The brunette with red tipped hair stopped him, her silver eyes shined with a certain look of he was going to lose this fight. "Jaune, you just got out of the hospital. Just take it easy."

He wasn't happy about it, "Fine." He sighed as he watched as the girl pushed the couch. She pointed at the couch with a sharp finger as she moved the wooden coffee table in front of the couch. It was odd seeing this little girl basically repurpose the room without asking permission. "You know, if I hadn't known any better, I would have thought that you were sisters with Yang with how you act." He said as moved over to the couch.

She shot him a curious look, "I mean with how you two act with each other. You guys act like ideal siblings."

Ruby practically beamed as she plopped down beside him, "As far as I can remember our families practically live together. Our parents have been really close friends since school, and I guess they didn't want to remain separated after school." She shrugged.

"Must be nice…" Jaune sagged his shoulders defeatedly. _Why just why can't he have a family that was close like that._ Heck Ruby and Yang weren't even sisters but they acted like extremely close sisters. He here was with his own sisters. "My siblings feel like we're worlds apart."

He felt a hand lightly swat him on the shoulder, "Enough of that. You have Yang and me! That has to count for something."

He sat down the couch as Ruby practically plopped down. "It does, more than you know."

"So we doin co-op or online?" Yang asked as she approached the living room with her Xbox and three controllers.

"Co-op legendary!" They both shouted simultaneously. Jaune and Ruby looked at one another for a moment before high-fiving.

"NOOOOOOOOOO…" Yang's shoulders slumped. "I really really really _rrrrereeeaaaalllyyyy_ don't want to play the Library mission."

Jaune dismissed her concern with a wave of the hand. "The Flood aren't that bad.."

Yang deadpanned, "Uhhhh yeah they are when they all have energy swords and rockets. Oh, you can't forget about the shotguns either! "

"So you just sneak by them." Ruby gave a mischevious smirk.

"That's cheating!" Yang and Jaune scolded causing the younger girl to deflate.

"You guys are no fun."

* * *

With Ozpin gone Raven sat in her chair staining at the table to the point that it might blow up from pressure as Qrow swiveled back and forth in his chair.

The choices were before her and none of them ideal. She could get into some serious trouble with the law. She was willing to accept that though she was not willing to accept what it would to do to her family. On one hand it would ruin Yang's reputation and heck maybe even future goals, Taiyang would be looked down at his own job. Qrow could be fired and end up in jail… and Summer…. she would most certainly lose her job and face jail time.

Or she could let him go. She could let him return to the shit hole which he wanted to escape from. She would most certainly see him getting into another situation in which he would be in standoff with his father. However the thought that rang in her mind was that she got lucky. He could have died the night she got the call. Then again, if he was placed in a new home, it might work, it might not. Raven was definitely skeptical of the end result of that kind of foster care. It didn't work well for for Qrow or herself. However, this didn't even take into consideration of what Jaune wanted. He wanted to be normal, to appear normal and foster care would not be normal. One way or another the reputation would get out and with that, came the stigma.

Then there was the final option. She could formally apply to adopt him. Of course this was the preferential one way this negative harm physically. They would be able to keep an eye on him while he got the attention the poor boy deserved. He fit into the family so easily and was never headache. Yet this would ruin his reputation and heck even her's. She didn't mind that of course but the rumors the poor boy would have to endure.

"What's up?" Qrow asked he stopped his swiveling.

"Nothing." She shrugged off.

"Bull." Qrow eyed her up, "You haven't said anything for the past ten minutes, you've been staring at the table as if it was God's greatest gift to humanity."

"I have not!" She protested.

"Rae…. you have your thinking of the end of the world look."

She knew it was a mute point in trying to fight as she let out an exhausted sigh as shoulders sagged. "Qrow… you remember what it felt like when we were home?"

He raised an eyebrow. She rarely brought up those memories. It was time for him to get serious. "Yeah… unfortunately…". He whispered at the memories long thought dead.

"Qrow… I just don't know what to do…" she closed her eyes. "It's like I'm a kid again…". His usually confident and fiery sister seemed so much more less now. He didn't see his strong hearted woman that she had grown up as but instead, the scared little girl.

Qrow stood up and sat down beside his sister, taking her hand giving a squeeze, making her look at him. "I want you to answer a question. If you could, would you leave Jaune if you knew that this was all going to happen?"

Without any hesitation, "Of course not," She sounded completely defensive, almost insulted.

He couldn't help but to smile as he saw her confidence return. "There's your answer."

She stared at him blankly for a few moments before a lightbulb popped in his mind. She needed to talk to him soon about this. "We should tell Percussion,"

"I'll do it." Raven stood up feeling refreshed. She had a clear mind and clear purpose. There will be casualties on the road but it was for his good and she and her entire family would fight along side him, not for him.

They exited the office room as Qrow said his good-bye. She turned and headed back to the cafeteria to see Russell and Cardin sitting together and Weiss on her phone. "Guys, come here, I have some news."

She watched as the three students surrounded her.

Weiss was naturally curious, the tone of her voice was hard to read. It was steely and reserved yet a slight undertone of sorrow. "Jaune…. Jaune isn't here, he's at the hospital for a heart condition."

A silence hung over the students. Weiss felt her world break. It was just yesterday that the two spent four hours together learning how to play. "Is he alright?" She heard Cardin ask.

 _Here I am, the one who snapped at him… maybe I was somehow responsible._ The anger the fury the boy shown when she stood her ground, _I caused it._

Her head lowered at the realization that she did this. "That being said, we need to keep this to ourselves. Am I crystal clear?" Her voice low, almost threatening.

Weiss nodded, still not able to face them. Just when they started to reconnect, ever so slowly. "Why are you telling us this?" Russell asked.

"Well… I don't know if he's still going to be in band."

Ice blue eyes immediately snapped awake. "Oh no," Weiss whispered. She had to do something or anything.

She turned to face all of them, slowly raising her hand, her throat constricted. She raised her hand slowly. "Weiss?" Raven asked with a raised eyebrow m.

"May I be excused?"

"Go ahead. Take as much time as you need." Raven gave her an almost sympathetic look. _I was the one who sent him to the hospital. I was the one who forced him out of band._ She thought to herself. If she didn't snap, he might not have been so stressed out...

 _S_ he had to do something, to let him know how sorry she was.

* * *

She was trembling, almost panic-stricken, as she approached the band office. She had one more thing to do before going home for the evening. She looked down at her hands to see that she was clutching onto the envelope for dear life.

She inhaled sharply, steadying her nerves. She raised her hand to the door and gave three sharp knocks. The voices immediately stopped as the door opened up. "Weiss? You should be heading home.." Raven gave her a curious look with Qrow leaning his head out.

"I uhh…." She looked down at the envelope in her hand. "Do you think he'll be here tomorrow day?" She asked not looking at him.

Raven looked to her brother who shook his head, "Extremely unlikely."

Weiss looked at her hesitantly. "Do you think you'll see either him or his parents?"

Again the woman looked for a response only to receive a shrug. "Yeah. After band camp…. I'll be talking with his… parents."

Weiss slowly lifted the envelope and offered it to her, "For him." She finally mustered her strength. "A good leader cares about those under them." She explained mostly for herself instead of the others.

"You don't need to explain, I understand." Raven smiled placing a hand on her shoulder with a reassuring smile. "I'll deliver it promptly, I'm sure he'll be touched." With that, Weiss felt the envelope was being lifted off her shoulder as well a great burden. Yet she couldn't shake this one feeling deep down. Like it was enough. Not nearly enough. "Go home; tomorrow will be a long time, get some rest."

"Right. Have a good night Mrs. Branwen."

"Raven." She corrected with a roll of the eyes. With that she watched the white-haired leader go home to a well earned night of sleep. She looked down at the card in her hands. She turned it over to see 'Jaune' written in very neat and precise cursive. It was clear that this wasn't of those cheap Hallmark cards you got at the dollar store. "Didn't see that coming…" Qrow gave a knowing smile.

Raven went back to the office, sitting in the other chair and kicking her own legs up on her brother's desk. "Yeah… neither did I." She agreed as she looked at the card, half tempted to open it up herself. Yet she suppressed those feelings, this for him and she would not invade his privacy like that.

"Makes you kinda wanna read it… huh?"

Instinctively she shoved her brother. "You aren't helping," earning a chuckle from him.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hey guys! Holy crap! Another chapter so quickly? huh... odd... that isn't me... let me say that I want to upload more and more, but work :/ I'm getting back into my groove... I think?**

 **Anywhoo... the goal of this chapter was two fold... for the rest of this story, I want you guys to remember the beginning quote. It does have a significant role throughout the story. Anywho... goals. A: We are beginning to see the legal ramifications of the Branwen actions... the truth is officially out. Principal Ozpin knows... and that's going to open a whole can of nasty worms...**

 **Now... I also wanted to Jaune get reacquainted with a duality. Being (basically a lone wolf) all his life with basically being in a pack. He was used to being alone (which has really warped how he thinks about things...) and now he's basically in a group that actually gives a shit. People in his situation, would either embrace the pack or become even more of a lone wolf. I guess we'll have to see where Jaune goes. But, I need to emphasize this, it not a one done situation, these things take time, is one of the biggest themes in this story. Again just my thoughts ya know?**

 **Also Weiss... feels bad... and did something good...? *le gasp***

 **So I have a question! What do you guys think so far? What are your thoughts to the whole legal ramifications? How do you think Jaune will feel when he finds out about this? What do you think Weiss said in this strange envelope...? I love to hear any thoughts, reactions, questions, predictions, criticisms, any and all! Let me know! It really keeps me going!**

* * *

 **Alright... Enough of me talking**

 **Reviews! (even though im still talking... oops)**

 **DragonManMax: MY FRIEND! *HUG* It has been too long! What is love? The deepest philosophical question right next to: Cherry or blueberry pie... keeps me up at night man... really does. I felt like Yang would have slugged... in a normal situation, definitely crying, but sleep deprived? I guess that could have worked too... grrrrrr... missed an opportunity. I love me some tears! Funny thing... I have more time to write during school than I do at work... lol SO MORE CHAPTERS!**

 **Deco. 64: Hey there my friend! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! Hope you liked the next one!**

 **Guest: Guess we'll have to find out together huh :)**

 **Wes217: *HUG* WESSSSSSSS HI MAN! Been some time huh? You're review... This feels really really familiar... and I can't remember it (which really bothers me!) I'm glad you liked the chapter! Hope you liked this one.**

* * *

 **Housekeeping!**

 **As for the newer people who may or may not have started to follow me... I stream! I stream on twitch during the school year. I play a lot of strategy games and shooters (I know... I'm an odd ball) and League (god help me!) So if you want to stop in and say hi, chill out, watch me be garbage at games, and just have fun together, follow lordxsauronx15. It'll be fun, and I'll have the occasional guest on where we talk about literally and anything :D First stream will be *hopefully* August 27th and 28th! Hope to see you all there!**

 **Thank you so much!**

 **Loredxsauron**


	26. Chapter 26: Relief

**Chapter 26: Relief**

* * *

 ***KACHUNK!***

 ***KACHUNK!***

"Come on! Switch to the pistol! Snipe the carriers!"

"Noooooo! Assault Rifle!"

 ***DIGADIGADIGADIGA!* *DIGADIGADIGADIGADIGA***

 ***KACHUNK!***

 ***BANG BANG BANG***

"We're almost there! Toss grenades through the door!"

 ***KABOOM. KABOOM!*.**

 ***SWOOOOSSHHH! KABOOM!***

A green armored figure flew in the air as the hideous fleshy shambles known as the Flood swarmed the area as a super soldier charged the mysterious "T" shaped artifact

Then…. three massive fleshy balloons waddled over with their stubby arms as if to give Master Chief a hug. As it waddled, it fell to the ground shifting uncontrollably until the large sack of a creature popped with a loud explosion, sending the green-armored super soldier high into the sky. "GOD DAMN IT!" Yang shouted nearly throwing her controller at the tv.

"Language!" Tai and Summer shouted from the kitchen

"Sorry!" The three kids shouted back.

"Sooooo close." Jaune patted her shoulder.

"Bad luck." Ruby tried to cheer up the blonde girl who was pouting.

"I can't…. I can't…" Yang shook her head through gritted teeth. "That mission is just so stupid!"

"Yeah… let's take a break." Jaune suggested with a smile starting to form. "Netflix?"

"Don't say it." Ruby prepared for the inevitable.

"And chill?" Yang grinned.

Ruby let out an exasperated sigh as if she were dealing with two children, "I forget why I'm friends with either of you."

"You love us!" The blonde girl wrapped an arm around her cousin as Jaune busted out in laughter as he saved the game. It would be clear that they would probably keep going, but they've been at it for at least two hours. Now would be a decent time to stop.

"Debatable." Ruby squirmed under the unyielding grasp as Jaune turned his head to the sound of the front door opening.

In came two exhausted and tired Branwens. They immediately perked up seeing the kids, "Hey guys." Qrow immediately perked up "How are we all doing he asked, though his eyes focused on Jaune.

"Fine," Jaune reassured him

"Good." Ruby chimed in.

"Horrible," Yang tossed her hands up, making the blonde girl's uncle cock his head questioningly.

"She's being dramatic, ignore her." Ruby clamped her cousin's mouth shut.

Qrow rolled his eyes with a smile and made his way into the kitchen. Meanwhile, Raven was in the living room, looking exhausted and ragged. "You doing alright, Jaune?"

"Yeah." Jaune smiled touched by her concern.

"Good…" She smiled back but started to waiver before she handed him an envelope. "For you."

He gave a curious look before taking the envelope. _What is this?_ He looked up again to see the crimson eyed woman's mouth to turn downward as if she wanted to say something. Thankfully, Yang intervened

"I hope you don't mind if Ruby stays over for the night."

Her mom's mouth twitched upward as if distracted by something weighing heavily on her mind. "I course I don't. It's always nice to have her over."

"So I think I know the answer… but am I going to band tomorrow?" Jaune asked.

"NO!" Everyone shouted simultaneously causing the blonde to throw his hands up in the air.

"Fine. Fine. Fine." He admitted defeat.

"Ohhhh Raven! Get in here!" The higher voice of Summer sang from the kitchen. The taller woman sighed, "Duty calls," which only caused the kids to giggle at her inability to relax. "I swear… no breaks…"

"So what ya got there?" Yang asked.

"I… don't know…" Jaune looked at the new envelope seeing his name in fine cursive.

"Maybe it's a love letter!" Ruby exclaimed excitedly earning a cheeky grin from her cousin.

"Oh my gosh! Jaune why didn't you tell me?" The blonde girl clutched her chest at the very notion. "You wouldn't tell dear old Yang?!"

"No!" Jaune snapped harshly causing the younger girl to recoil making Yang scrunch her brows together at the sudden burst. "... nothing of the sort. I don't know what it is, but it isn't important right now."

"Ohhhhhhhh! LOOK!" Ruby pointed at the t.v. trying to defuse the situation. "Hacksaw Ridge! Let's watch that…."

It seemed to have worked as Yang's hardened expression faltered as she looked over at her cousin with a motherly look, "Isn't that like a really bloody movie? Aren't you a little young for that?"

The smaller girl pouted as she puffed her cheeks out, "I drink milk! That makes me plenty adult."

"I have to agree with Rubes; milk drinking is an important part of adulthood… apparently?" Jaune took her side, thankful that Ruby recovered him small backlash.

"Alright, fine." Yang rolled her eyes as she started the movie.

* * *

He took sat up, blinking the sleep away from his eyes. He scanned to see that Ruby was curled into a small ball while Yang sprawled out on the floor.

Realizing he was the only one up, he opened up the card. He used the t.v. That was still running in the background. The dim light revealed a beautiful card with a field of floors, rolling hills and a sun shining down one what appeared to be a drummer. Upon closer inspection, he could see himself, small strands of blonde hair sticking out of his plumed shako. _Is there anything she can't do?_ He thought to himself as he admired the craftsmanship.

He smiled as he opened Inside. His smile only grew upon taking the sight before him. The art, the calligraphy, the note…. the note, all written fine cursive.

 _Dear Jaune,_

 _I hope this card finds you well. I know we've had our ups and downs in our relationship,_

An understatement

 _Yet I want you to know that I still deeply care about your wellbeing. I'll be honest, I don't know where we stand,_

"I…. I…. don't know… Weiss…". He failed to notice a pair of eyes watching him.

 _but if something were to happen to you, I couldn't live with myself knowing how we left things. I'm so sorry; I don't know if what you said was true or not,_

"It is true!" He blurted out causing Ruby stir. _Shit._

 _but I want us to put the past aside. I want us to be friends. And if not, I want us to be civil towards one another. Please, Jaune I hope you get better. Here's my number if you ever want to talk,_

 _Xxx-xxx-xxxx_

It was flustering as he stared at the number. He wanted to let her know how she as. The kindness, the effort she put into this was truly astounding. After what happened between the two of them. He was just purely shocked…. Yet he couldn't reassure her.

It gave him hope. It was that hope that lulled him to sleep.

* * *

The day progressed uneventfully. Jaune was the first to wake up having already been "rested" from the hospital. While making a bowl of cereal, he looked outside the kitchen window enjoying the sunrise as he munched on his new pleasure of food, Raisin Bran.

He took a seat at the kitchen table when he heard soft footsteps upstairs and several doors opening and closing. He looked at the clock, he should have realized what time it was.

A few minutes, the black-haired woman emerged. Her hair more tamed after a shower. However, compared to the day before her red eyes appeared even more tired. "Morning." She mumbled as she picked out a bottle of orange juice.

After taking a seat in front of him, drinking her juice and munching on an apple, he became more sociable. She reinforced that he was not coming and that he better take it easy today.

"Yes, yes, I will." He reassured her. Yet there something still bothering him, as if she wanted to tell him something but was waiting for something else. What either something was, he could not fathom. However, he noted the awkward silence as Raven tried to strike up a conversation over band, what they were going over today and what, if he felt well enough for it, he should go over.

After a brief breakfast, the woman said her goodbye as she left, leaving the blonde boy by himself until Ruby woke up about a half an hour later.

The two chit chatted, mainly Ruby speaking of her time at school and why she tended to be shy. Jaune found out that she didn't have that many friends in her own grade. She mostly stuck with Yang and her friends. The young girl found it difficult to socialize with other people. He reassured her that there was nothing wrong with quality over quantity, something that he came to appreciate these days.

As the two were chatting, Taiyang eventually made his way down, taking a look at his sleeping daughter with a smile on his face. After he got himself a quick snack and making sure that he and Ruby were fine, he went outside to get some yard work done outside.

Eventually, Yang woke up with a mighty yawn as Ruby and Jaune watched t.v. Yang, just like her mother, was not really a morning person. She barely acknowledged them until she woke up properly. Eventually, when she had, the three figured that they wanted to enjoy the sun. They eventually found themselves outside, resting by the river, their feet in the water. "We don't do this enough." Jaune pointed out as he laid on his back enjoying the shade from the clouds that passed by. To that, the two other girls agreed. Eventually, Ruby's mom arrived to take her daughter home and with that Jaune found himself inside the house with Yang after the door closed.

With Ruby gone, Jaune climbed the stairs and went back to his room. "Jaune…" He turned to see Yang giving him a worried look. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, just tired." He scratched the back of his head.

The blonde girl crossed her arms as she tapped her foot at the bottom of the steps. "No… something is on your mind."

"Heh, Nah I'm fine Yang." Jaune waved his hand. He kept climbing the stairs.

He kept going into his room to hear the footsteps behind her. "Jaune...you can't bottle it up."

Jaune didn't acknowledge her comment as he dropped to his bed. "I'm not bottling anything up, I'm just dandy."

Yang sat down on his bed, still worries. "After everything you've been through. Your dad…. this Weiss person."

He immediately sat up with a vicious look. "So you determine what _I_ feel? You don't know what's it's like!"

"Jaune…." Yang reached out.

He pulled away slightly. He took a deep breath, "I'm… sorry…. it's just I… everything is going on at the same time, and I don't know… I don't know what to do. It's just overwhelming."

Yang shifted closer to him, placing a comforting hand on his knee. "What's going on? Talk to me."

"I don't want to be a trouble. I'm just a bag of drama."

He could see that she didn't like as she scrunched her brows together for a moment before she inhaled sharply. "Why can't you just accept I want to help?" She retorted.

"I don't want to talk about _him."_

"We don't have to talk about him." She reassured him.

"There's this girl. Weiss…. honestly, the sweetest person I know, but strong and independent. We became friends when some other people were picking on her."

Yang nodded waiting for him to continue. "I…. I…. don't know, I just started to develop feelings when we spent time together. She fell asleep on my shoulder, and I guess it's where it started. I don't know…. I just started to get these feelings you know?" He looked up to see a sympathetic Yang.

"So what happened?" Yang asked.

"Heh…. here's the kicker. One of the competitions, I was going to ask her out… but this was once I found out about my heart condition. Your mom and uncle forced me to go out, and she met a guy named Neptune."

"No way! Neptune Vasilias?"

Jaune nodded his eyes narrowing, "You know him?"

"Oh yeah. He seems like a pretty alright-ish guy."

 _Are you fucking kidding me? She's never going to believe me._ Then again this was Yang, he felt like she would trust him enough not to lie. "No… he's the reason why I tried to cut all ties with Weiss."

At this Yang straightened up. "What do you mean?" She drawled as she leaned it, her eyes almost hungry for some kind of revelation.

"I remember it clearly. He threatened Weiss. He said that I would only drag her down and hurt her. If I didn't cut ties, he would hurt her..." He looked up with saddened eyes. "For her own good… apparently."

He heard a gasp. "What do you mean hurt her?" She asked, clearly startled.

"I don't know… but I didn't want to risk it." He sighed. "You probably don't believe me. I know it seems childish, I mean I doubt he would do anything. I just don't understand why."

He felt a hand on his shoulder. "Well he couldn't stand your relationship with Weiss. He's a petty asshole. Though I think you should have talked to Weiss, you did what you thought was best." She could see the frown lighten up slightly. "I do believe you. The guy seemed kind of stuck up, and if there is anything I can do, I want to help."

His frown only returned. "There's not a lot you can do."

* * *

Lilac eyes stared at the pitch black ceiling. She hadn't been able to sleep, too many things were going on in her mind. With a sigh she grabbed her phone,

Y: Hey Pyr, what's goin on?

P: Nothing much, what's on your mind?

Y: what do you mean :p

P: I'm sorry, but when you text this late, something is on your mind? Would you like to call?

Yang looked at the door, she was going to be doing something that she know she was going to regret. She dialed her best friend's number.

" _Hello Yang."_ Pyrrha greeted warmly.

"Sup Pyr, hope I'm not keeping you awake." The blonde said feeling slightly guilty

" _No, just watching t.v.,"_ Well that's reassuring. " _So what's up?"_

Yang paused for a moment feeling the guilt in build up in her. "Pyr, if I told you, you can't tell anyone. I mean it, not even Blake."

" _You have my word."_

Yang exhaled, "It's about Jaune."

" _What about him?"_ She sounded genuinely curious.

"Well…. I don't know how to say it…. but uh….he's been living with us since the beginning of the summer."

" _Well… I didn't expect that…. How's that been going?"_

"Would it be weird if I say that's how we met?"

There was silence on the end of the phone as if the redhead tried to process it.

" _I would have to say… no…?"_

"Come on P, you don't need to lie."

" _Yes… it's kind of strange."_ Which made Yang chuckle. It was good of her to lie to make sure she wasn't being rude. " _How did it all happen? I assume what you said was made up?"_

"Yeah… I'm sorry about that."

" _Don't worry about it, I understand."_

"Well, apparently he always had a realyl really bad home life. Like some of the shit he's seen, we couldn't even imagine."

" _Gosh, Yang. I'm sorry. I'm glad you guys took him in."_

Yang nodded in agreement as sat up from her bed. "Yeah… me too. It really puts things into perspective."

" _I could only imagine."_ She sympathized.

"I… I… don't know what to do. I want to help the guy, I really do, but despite how hard I try but he just doesn't open up. He's become friends with Rubes and me, but everything that hurts him, he just keeps it bottled up."

" _I see… let me guess, you don't know how to get him to open up."_

"Bingo. Like I don't to force him but still…"

" _Well…_ " the redhead drew out the word. " _You two just met, you can't expect him open up overnight. He tends to keep it himself, right?"_

"Yeah."

" _Then he's eventually going to implode, and when he does, you have to be there for him. That will show him that you're going to be there thick and thin"._

"That… that doesn't sound healthy. Don't we want to prevent explosions?"

 _Pyrrha let out an awkward chortle "Usually yes, but as you know this isn't a normal situation. If you try to force him to open up, he could very much shut you out even more."_

Gosh… why did Pyrrha have to be so wise."Pyrrha, you should be a psychologist."

The redhead let out a small giggle, " _My parents say the same thing."_

"Thanks again, Pyrrha, I'll make sure we hang out all before the end of the summer."

" _Glad to help Yang, I'm always here for you."_

"You're the best, Pyr, never change. Goodnight."

" _Goodnight."_

With that, Yang hung up. It wasn't the advice that she was expecting, but it was the best advice Pyrrha could have given what she knew and more importantly, did not know.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Shaded: I HAVE RETURNED! Kinda. My name is Shaded, and I spent entirely too long away from this project due to real-life issues. I would apologize for my absence, but LordxSauron is awesome and did a great job while I was away.** Meanwhile **I didn't work half as much on my own stories … oops.**

 **Sauron: Well Shaded needs to get to work, though I feel you. I have only been really wanting to work on this but at the cost of my other stories… :( I have some ideas.**

 **Ohhhh my…. So the truth is out again. Yang knows about Weiss… and Neptune….. *GASP* And now Pyrrha has a slight idea... I wonder if that's going to influence her when she's around Jaune!**

 **Question: What do you guys think? Let me know. The reviews only keep me going and without your feedback, I can't tell your thoughts. Share your thoughts, questions, predictions, reactions! It all helps.**

 **Stream notice: SO I'm going to be streaming very soon at Twitch. Follow me at lordxsauronx15. I play a lot of shooters, strategy games, and league! I'll have a few of my friends with me as well, including Shaded! We'll be talking anything and everything, fandoms, other stories, video games and other random b.s. Come on by and say hello! First stream will be on August 28 in the morning and evening! Might start a day early though!**

 **Reviews:**

 **Wes217: LISTEN MAN! *HUG* You know im shit with that stuff lol. Though I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, I hope to see you in some of my streams! And I should have seen that! It's been years since I've seen that movie xD.**

 **DragonManMax: Sup buddy! *brofist* I actually used to play Siege…. Unfortunately, it didn't hold my attention long enough… We're getting things slowly patched up…. Maybe kind of…. And with the help of Yang maybe?**

 **Shadow: I'm glad you liked the chapter.**

 **Tondori: Hi there friend! Thanks for your review and your concern. So I'mma let you in on a little secret and thoughts on the matter *This would be good for everyone to read as well* The way that this fic is structured is that Jaune is recalling his past. Whether it be from his direct and personal memory or past conversations with other people. That being said there aren't going to be moments where they recall specific events only relating to themselves. They might recall events that don't have Jaune around but are influenced because of him due to him asking about these events. (The intros and outros are him actually speaking to the mysterious listener, not goin to say who.)**

 **As for being dark… Life isn't all sunshine and rainbows nor is it all gloom and doom. It's only a mixture of both at the same time, it's the mindset you are in at the time that determines your perspective.**

 **King Kaiju VI: Welcome friend! I love my STRQ moments as well and I will do my best to keep uploading at frequently as possible.**

 **Guest: Thanks for the review! Definitely some feelings in that letter. Can't say anything about that other thing though ;)**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	27. Chapter 27: What Are You Going To Do?

**CH 27: What Are You Going To Do?**

* * *

 _In reality, a simple question that applies to all things in one's life. What are you going to do? When someone is confronted with a scenario, a problem, an issue that has multiple options... one might ask this simple question._

 _Six words. Six words that makes you think all your options. The scenario might be so small or so large, but it makes you think._

 _What are you going to do?_

 _Heh... probably one of the hardest questions I was asked growing up. To be honest, everything I did... it turned out for the better now that I look back._

 **After Last Day of Band Camp**

"So when are you going to talk to everyone?" Qrow leaned back into his chair. "And stop doing that! You'll make me do it!"

Raven glared she continued to as she continued to bite her nail. "When things settle." She said as she continued to bite. It was a nervous habit she had and only did it when things started to really get to her.

"So when are you going to talk to Summer about everything?" He asked as he watched his sister.

She looked away as she retrieved her phone and dialed, "Hey Tai just wanted to let you know that I'm going to be getting food with Qrow." Causing her brother to raise a curious eyebrow.

" _Everything alright?"_ Tai asked from the other side of the line.

"Yeah… we're just going through some options. Tai are you absolutely sure about this?"

" _Don't sweat it, I'm glad to help him. We just need to talk to Yang."_

"Alright, if you're sure. Love you." Causing Qrow to snicker.

" _Hit him for me."_ Raven to gave a smile as she slammed her foot on top of Qrow's

"Yowwww!" Qrow yelped as he nursed his foot. "Jerk!"

" _Thanks honey. Love you too."_

The woman smirked as she watched her brother nurse his foot with a pained expression. "Don't worry, my treat. Call Sum."

* * *

The two made their way to Poppaz, which was the only place open at the time."AHHH! WELCOME WELCOME!" Roman Torchwick greeted with a large smile. "Ahh, the Branwens! What do I owe the pleasure of this visit to my humble eatery." He gave a dramatic bow

"Family matters," Raven said curtly.

The man's warm smile faltered. "Sorry, Roman, we'll take the usual. Summer too, she'll be here in a bit." Qrow apologized for her sister's less than polite attitude.

The man's smile returned "Right away my friend, here or to go?"

"Here," Qrow said as he grabbed a soda bottle.

"Yessir! NEO! BRANWEN SPECIAL! GET ME A ROSE SPECIAL TOO!"

"Got it!" The short woman shouted

The siblings sat down at the booth, Qrow kicking his legs up and practically lounging around as if the place were his own home. Meanwhile, Raven propped herself up with her hand as she drummed the table with another hand. "You know, you've always been uptight. You need to relax more."

"And you need to stop assuming every place is your damn living room." She retorted with a smirk.

"Oh come now, Raven," the short woman with ice cream hair winked as she delivered the plates. For Qrow, a veggie quesadilla. "We care about our regulars." She placed a buffalo chicken wrap before her.

"Our kids are regulars." Raven corrected.

"Which makes you regulars you dingus," Roman shouted from the counter.

"Dingus?" The Branwens looked at one another.

Neo leaned in whispering to them, "It's his new favorite word, just go with it."

"It's a cool word… it makes me giggle when I say it." Roman justified causing the Branwen's to look even more confused.

 _BING. BONG._

And there she walked in, the spitting image of Ruby Rose, though slightly older and in a police officer uniform, "Hey Summ, come on in ya dingus."

She raised an eyebrow questioningly, "Just go with it…" The other replied simultaneously

"...right…" She drawed out awkwardly as she moved to sit down beside her husband.

"How was work?"

She dropped her head on her hands. "Llllloooonnnnggggg. All I did was paperwork."

Neo shot a grin at the police officer, "Just come work for us; it's never a dull moment."

"It's tempting if I hadn't gone through the Academy." She shot back with a grin as Neo handed her a pounder burger.

"I'm still amazed by how much you can eat given your size." Neo tapped her chin causing the Rose to puff out her cheeks.

"Yeah… you aren't the only one…". Qrow rolled his eyes.

"Neo! Stop heckling our customers!" Roman called from the counter. With that, their waitress gave a playful wink and scurried off towards the back.

"So what's up guys?" Summer asked as she took a bite from her burger. "You guys look like you haven't slept in ages."

"Yeah… that's an understatement" Raven snorted as she took a bite from her wrap.

"What she means… is that we're in a tight spot." Qrow explained, "Remember how you said there might be a legal case…?"

"Yeah…" Summer frowned realizing where this might be going.

"Well… we might need you to help us put together a case."

Raven could see her friend's trepidation, "Listen, I'm planning on adopting him. We'll keep him safe and he'll get what he deserves."

The police officer's jaw dropped. "T-t-that's a large step, Rae. Have you thought about this? Have you talked to Tai and Yang?

Raven nodded, "Yeah, Tai wants to as well. We'll talk to Yang.."

* * *

Yang flopped on her bed. She was beat, tired, drained, whatever you wanna say, she was, soccer really kicked her ass. The exhaustion was strong that changing out of her uniform. "What's up?" The blonde girl looked over to see Jaune leaning on the doorway.

"Feeling like I'm fifty." She stretched, feeling all of the pops along her back.

"Well, you look good for being fifty."

Yang lifted herself with a raised eyebrow, "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah…. just imagine all of that shiny blonde hair… turning gray."

"You're mean," she smirked tossing a pillow at him. He caught it easily and sat on the ground. "So how are you feeling?"

"Feeling a bit stronger. Still a little achy though." He leaned his back along the nightstand.

"That's good, Jaune. Just don't overdo anything." She looked down at him with concern. Those eyes filled with a genuine concern that touched him as he looked away, trying to hide the inward smile.

"... or else you'll kick my ass." He finished as he looked over to the t.v. "Ozarks? What the hell is that."

"Apparently a less edgy version of Breaking Bad. More money laundering for drug money instead of the whole 'Oh we need to make all the drugs!.'" Yang smiled.

 ***Slam.***

Yang perked as her eyes were drawn to her door as was Jaune's. Footsteps could be heard as the two looked at each other, then another pair of footsteps.

Soon enough Raven was leaning in the doorway, her arms crossed. "Netflix again? I keep telling your father we need to actually get it for ourselves." Her eyes slowly drifted over to the two of them. Yang raised an eyebrow when her dad appeared.

"What's going on guys?" Yang asked suspiciously.

"We just wanted to talk to the both of you." Tai started.

Yang looked down to Jaune who had shared a quizzical look. "Alright…"

"So you know Jaune has been living with us." Her dad started. Lilac eyes went wide. _Are we kicking him out? Is he going home? He can't. He can't at all, he can't go back._

Jaune felt a lump in his throat. He knew all good things come to an end. Nothing lasts forever. "I'll… start packing…".

Tai and Raven looked at one another with great alarm. "Jaune… we want you to join the family." Raven explained causing him to stiffen up. _What the hell did that mean?_ He looked at the two adults Tai seemed pretty tense about it while Raven was at ease.

He blinked again, just unable to form a sentence."We want to adopt you, with your permission of course." She rubbed her arm awkwardly.

"Adopt? As in adopt-adopt? Adopt Jaune? Right?" Yang whirled around sitting up on her bed

"Yep." Her dad confirmed, "what do you think, Yang?"

"I'm totally fine with it." She practically squealed.

Jaune sat there unable to comprehend any of the this. "Jaune, what do you say?" Crimson eyes fell on him, watching him very carefully.

He looked up with a blank expression seeing everyone's worry. "I… I…" He stammered as he picked himself up from the ground. "I…"

He felt a hand grasp his wrist and give a small tug. "It's alright…." He heard Yang's voice as he gave in and sat on the bed.

"You don't have to." Tai reassured

"You aren't being forced, you can say no. We won't be offended." Raven chimed in.

How could he even accept this offer? Sure, he wanted nothing to do with _him,_ but what about everyone else? His mom, even though he wasn't a big fan of her. What about his siblings, the ones that left him behind and forgot about him.

What about him being normal? If everyone knew that he was adopted… the rumors that would go around… all he wanted was to be normal, and adoption was not normal especially adoption via your high school history teacher. "I don't know. I've already taken so much."

"We've already been through this…." Yang patted his shoulder.

He shook his head, "No…. I just… what about my old family? Why ask me? Why not keep doing what we've been doing?"

All ties turned on the woman who offered him the choice. "For your, family, if you want, we can negotiate things. As for asking you, we want you to feel comfortable with your choice, we aren't your parents, and we don't know what is best for you; we just want you to be comfortable with the choice you make."

Jaune rolled his eyes, " Yeah…. Comfortable…"

"Bud, I can't imagine what this feels like and none of these things seem comfortable…" Tai tried to calm him.

"You're right… you can't." Jaune mumbled earning a light playful push from Yang.

He looked at her. "Take some time to think it over at least?" She asked.

It wasn't an unreasonable request to Jaune. In fact, it was the most level headed request and action for the boy. However, he negated the question. "You still haven't answered the question…"

He could see the frown slowly develop on Raven's mouth. "Well…. I won't beat around the bush Jaune. There's a good chance a legal situation will come up… and what we're doing right now is illegal. CPS will most likely get involved and if that happens."

 _Oh no._

"There's a very high chance they could take you…" Raven muttered bitterly as she stared absently remembering what it was like. "A good chance that me and Qrow would lose our jobs and be blacklisted." She added absently.

"Wait…" Tai whispered.

"What?!" Yang yelped in surprise

Tai leaned in, "You never said any of that," which earned a casual shrug of the shoulders.

"Didn't think about it until now," she admitted.

"Raven…" Jaune looked up with a hurt expression, "I didn't know…." He pleaded, "everyone…. I didn't know…" A lump in his throats started to form. "I'm so incredibly sorry."

The woman seemed to register this as she shook her head slightly, "It's fine, Jaune, You aren't to blame, these things will happen."

 _This isn't how it was supposed to be!_ Why? Why did this all have to happen? This was all his fault. "... I should have known," Jaune sighed. "I should have seen this coming…"

"Jaune, it's not your fault." Yang took his hand. "How did you know that this was going happen?"

"Buddy, we can't predict the future," Tai reassured.

"Still…" The boy insisted.

"We _still_ would have done the same thing." Raven affirmed ending the discussion. "I just wanted to give you a heads up on what will most likely be coming. There is absolutely no pressure. We'll leave you to think on it."

Funny thing about when no one said no pressure, that in of itself was pressure. Jaune laid back in Yang's bed, running his fingers through his hair. "So what are going to do?" Yang asked with a frown.

He absently stared at the ceiling hoping for an epiphany. "Honestly, I don't know. Yang?"

"Mm?"

"What would do?" The blonde girl brushed aside one of her locks of golden hair as she laid down beside him. "I don't know. I'd go with my gut on this one."

"Where is your gut telling you to go?"

"Take the deal, Jaune. I mean…" She propped herself up looking at him. "Are we really that bad?" He looked over to see her, a genuine look of concern, of almost pleading look. "Don't do this alone."

He took a leap of faith on this one. He normally thought he was a more cautious person, he never gambled, yet this summer seemed to be breaking that routine, and for the most part he'd been successful.

The two laid on the bed just staring at the ceiling, "Yang?"

"Mmmm?"

"Back at the hospital, you said all I do is think about myself."

Yang sat up with a frown. "I know… I'm still really sorry…"

"It's fine, really but what have I done for you? I'm not trying to be a jerk anything". He raised his hands defensively, "I'm just wondering."

"Heh…." She let out a slight chuckle, "Believe it or not, you're the first boy friend, as in-"

"I get it…"

"That sees me as me and not as some kind of catch, ya know? Like it's a really good feeling to be seen as a prize." Yang smiled affectionately.

"Huh…" Jaune thought to himself as he continued to stare at the ceiling, "Yang… you're not lying are you?"

"Nope. Now if you don't mind I'd like my bed back. I'm going to bed."

"It's only like 8, you stay up until two or three."

"Well, I'm getting up there in age."

Jaune hoisted himself up from the bed. "Surrrrre." He sighed. He still had time to kill, so he decided to hop on his on Xbox until he felt tired. Probably better to distract himself everything that had happened the best couple of days. He walked over to door and turned, "Yang?"

The blonde girl looked up curiously.

"I don't know how to say this, but thanks for everything." Jaune smiled as he left the room.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **How I missed you! and you! and all of you! As usual, here's is the next chapter. It will be confirmed 2 more chapters and Summer sequence will be over. Didn't think it took this long, but things happen ya know? Anywho... Shaded was a great help with this chapter, so around of applauce for him!**

 **Now! I have a question: How did I do in this chapter? Any kind of thoughts, reactions, and predictions helps to guide me and gauge where I am at as a writer as well as what needs to be developed more. So questions, predictions, thoughts, reactions, criticisms, even if you wanna say good chapter, meh, or bad, any and all helps!**

 **I think for this chapter it's more of an actual family chapter. How members of the family are going about tackling this issues of the possibility of adoption. That being said, that of itself is an issue, but we'll getting into some murky waters between duty as well as doing what is right. Let's see where this goes! Jaune also gets a sense of where he fits in with Yang...**

 **Housekeeping: Alright. So as you know, I'll be streaming the 27th and maybe 26th. That being said, come on by and say hello and watch me fail at video games! This is my way of connecting with you guys on a personal level so Id love to see you all there. Follow me on at lordxsauronx15. I have no idea what I'm going to play... I play a lot of strategy games and shooters, and league... so maybe total war, probs going to be saving halo..., maybe league... or I'll scare myself senseless with SCP or Slenderman... idk lol**

 **REVIEWS!**

 **DragonManMax: Yeah... that was a small oopsy xD Fixed it though lol. Consider it a Forlorn blooper xD Hopefully you liked the chapter!**

 **Ruby-Rose 117- Sorry mate that would ruin the surprise, maybe it's one of them, maybe it isn't xD. Gotta live in the moment right? What do you think it is?**

 **Tondori: Hello my friend! Exactly, it's about finding the good in life when things seem bad. See here's the thing though, living in the moment, it can be hard to see the sunshine when everything is looking dark. You aren't in the right mindset. It could be staring you in the face and you wouldn't see it cause you're only thinking of the negative things... like am I going to be screwed over or something. For me... my goal is to demonstrate that kind of mentality while also reflecting the retrospective nature of the series. Where Jaune is looking back and seeing the good that has happened and how it truly affects him as an adult remembering the past. I hope that makes sense lol. and no worries my friend, I totally understand the sentiment!**

 **I won't there is a lot of angst, but there will also be a lot of good. And a follower of my earlier works? Oh my flattered, and thank you for them. As for Arkos Books, that is under perma-hiatus. Shattered is still being reworked... I'm still debating if I wanna redo... reedit or rewrite, but I haven't forgotten about it.**


	28. Chapter 28: Secrets

**Chapter 28: Secrets**

 _Heheheh Yeah… I won't lie, for all the warmth that Summer is supposed to bring, it felt like a terribly dark winter. Then again, it's always winter somewhere, right? That's what I thought at least._

Several weeks had passed by. In fact, one more week until school, and three days until the County Fair. Jaune could feel a certain kind of tense air filled the household. It was a familiar kind of tension back at his old home, the same kind of tension that could cause everything to break. It had a certain... charge in the air. You could almost feel it, and the feeling wasn't often pleasant one at that.

Tai and Summer had been coming more often for late night meetings, discussing the possibilities of getting into a lengthy legal battle while Raven and Qrow were strategizing how to deal with the school board and the Department of Education.

While all of these meetings were occurring, they tried to be elusive, avoiding his direct questions as well as his pleas to help. They brushed off his concern and told him not to worry about it. They told all of them, Yang and Ruby included, not to worry about it. Heck... they even tried to fool them by saying that these were simple family get-togethers. Now, Jaune might be young, but he could smell a lie... and these lies were not the most elaborate thing.

Now if one thing irritated Jaune, it would be pretending that he was dumb. He had a right know just as much as they did. Heck, even more of a right to know. Now he understood that they were just trying to ease the load, to protect him, but none of that mattered. To him, it was his duty to help, he caused this mess, and he had to fix it somehow. Someway.

"Any news?" Yang popped in.

"Of course not…." He grunted as he zoomed in. ***BANG*** he smiled at the head shot only to have his sniping perch bombed to hell by the war Zepplin. "Stupid, overpowered balloon."

" I think that's more than just a balloon." Yang countered with a smirk as her blonde counterpart handed her the controller.

"Over sized air balloon then." Jaune rolled his eyes as he watched Yang bayonet someone. There was just something getting a melee kill in Battlefield that was so incredibly satisfying as you run someone down with a long trench knife on the end of your bolt action rifle. Definitely a grade A animation.

Then

 ***BOOOOOOM!***

"Stupid blimp!" Yang threw her hands up in the air dropping the control on the ground. She turned to face Jaune, clearly annoyed. "Hey, history guru; Did they even use these damn things in World War One?"

He shot her a quizzical look. "Just because I like history doesn't mean I know everything… but blimps were used mostly for reconnaissance. Germans used them for strategic bombing though."

She raised an eyebrow, "Bombing civilian targets. Mostly London and they weren't that effective."

"Ah… so, in theory, shouldn't be so stupidly strong..."

"Yep." Jaune nodded watching the kill feed. The jerk in that thing was getting kill after kill after kill. That was until it was shot down turning into a giant fireball as its metal carcass was spread out across the field.

"Stupid blimps." She muttered as she picked up the assault class. "I'm sorry… I got distracted."

He watched her and her squad advance towards a heavily forested area that panned out into a small valley with little to no cover at all. Her goal was the bunker built into the hillside of the valley that would be a bloody death trap. However, she was smarter than the typical player and decided to go prone and opened fire with the large, bulky machine gun picking up two kills. "Nice two piece." She tossed a grenade up onto the bridge picking up another kill

"Three piece." She corrected with a smirk only to be brought down by her name of existence: a sniper. "Camping bitch!" She hissed nearly tossing her controller at the tv.

"You know…" Jaune drawed out, "I like to snipe…."

"Camping bitch." Yang reaffirmed pointedly handing him the controller. "No, but for real, they still won't tell you what's going on?"

Jaune shook his head. "No… and I'm getting really annoyed with it. It's been over two weeks, and school starts in another week. What the hell am I going to do?"

Yang tapped her chin in thought as she watched Jaune get torn apart by a trench gun, "Ouch…" she muttered absentmindedly, "Maybe they just want to have a game plan before they tell you."

He rolled his eyes, "Or maybe they think I'm a delicate flower ready to scatter kindly to the wind." earning a light shove from Yang.

"You're being overdramatic." Yang let out a light chuckle.

He couldn't help but crack a smile, "Yes, but the point still stands." ***BANG*** "ARE YOU KIDDING ME! SNIPING BITCH!" He could see the girl's widening grin. "I don't want to hear it. I hate this game." He muttered as he handed the controller back to Yang.

"Why'd you get it then?"

"World War One." He stated as a matter of fact.

"Nerd." Yang laughed before getting back into the groove. "Wanna go outside? Maybe go to Pappaz?" That sounded like a pretty good idea. He was getting rather hungry. He signed off of his Xbox and stood up. "That was sudden." The blonde girl gave him a curious look as she got up from her chair.

"I'm hungry." He stood up and followed her down the hallway and making their way down the stairs. He could hear the adults' voices become quieter and quieter as they reached the bottom.

"Hey, Jaune and me are going to Poppaz." Yang shouted.

The woman with wild black hair turned around, "Hold up." She ordered causing the two freeze up on the spot.

"You sure that's a good idea?" Tai asked causing the two teens to walk into the kitchen. _Here comes the whole babying routine._ Though Jaune had to suppress his resentment. They were just trying to be good people, he couldn't fault them for that.

However, he could fault them for something else entirely. His blue eyes fell upon the kitchen table. What was usually a nice oak table was now covered in packets, folders, laptops, lies, and hidden truths. It only took a moment for Summer and Qrow to realize what he was staring at as they scrambled to hide paper only to end up knocking a few stacks off the table.

A large packet landed on the ground right in front of Jaune, causing him to stoop down and pick it up. _The Ethical Educator and Professional Practices: Frequently Asked Questions._ What the hell is this…? Why would they need something like- It was suddenly ripped out of his hands. "Just... uh... um... Raven's grad work." Summer tried to reassure him with a slightly shaky smile. That was a blatant lie if he ever heard one. First off, she kept most of her stuff on her computer, and besides that, all she had were her books. His eyes drifted over to the closest stack of paper. _Code of Professional Practice and Conduct for Educators_ , which was clearly covered by a large folder by Qrow.

"What's going on?" The blonde teenager asked. "Why do you have those?"

"Ahhh…. Nothing just some paperwork. Taxes and stuff." Tai brushed off his concern.

The boy only scowled at the avoidance, did they not trust him with anything, was he really that fragile. "So can we go or not?" Yang asked, trying to break through the tension and get Jaune away from the building tension. Too late.

"Or am I too fragile?" Jaune retorted earning an elbow to the side. He couldn't help it though. They were treating him like a baby ever since he had gotten back from the hospital. At first, he thought it was them just taking care of him, which he appreciated. Now it was just getting ridiculous.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Raven narrowed her eyes.

"Mom, Dad, I have my phone, if anything happens, we'll call you."

The black-haired woman looked as if she were going to protest, but her husband intervened. "Yeah, you can go."

"You know… I may be broken, but I can handle myself." Jaune said as he left the room leaving a stunned table. Tai frowned as he shared a look with his wife. Qrow and Summer looked up at Yang.

"Don't worry… he's just frustrated, I'll watch over him. I hope you know that secrets tend to do that." Yang made her way out of the kitchen. They waited for the door to shut.

Raven propped her elbow on the table, resting her head in her hand as she shook her head. "She's right." She sighed with a guilty conscience.

She felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder, she didn't need to look up to know it was Tai, "We agreed once we have a game plan, we'd let him in."

"WE don't have a game plan."

"I hate to say it, but we don't have much to go on." Summer sighed as she shuffled papers about making room for more folders. "I have the police reports here…"

"So let's go over all the scenarios again," Tai suggested, earning an exhausted moan from the black haired woman.

"Right," Qrow pulled out a notepad that had pages and pages of notes and ideas on it. "We are looking four major scenarios. A criminal case in which Anthony Arc presses charges, a Child Protective Services hearing for custody over Jaune, a Department of Education hearing, and…" Qrow's shoulder sagged, the most unwinnable, "criminal charges for neglecting civic responsibilities."

"We aren't going to win that one," Raven muttered as she ran her fingers through a large stack of papers.

"You don't know that." Summer tried to remain positive, "For all we know, none of these could happen."

Tai shook his head in disagreement. I hate to say it, but something is going to happen."

"The way we showed off at the board meeting, Superintendent Salem is looking for blood against Ozpin and us, and in combination of the School to save money…" Qrow trailed off.

"Firing two teachers would save more than a million dollars for the school district. Getting us arrested would be all the sweeter for that bitch, Salem." Raven picked up.

"Can't Ozpin cover for you?" Tai asked, "he's on our side by the sounds of it."

"No, he wouldn't." Summer chimed in, "He'd be fired for not reporting. Plus, the school district would be under investigation and possibly taken over by the state." Raven and Qrow both shuddered at the idea.

"We need help. A lot of help." Qrow pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

"Who are you calling?"

"An old friend."

* * *

The two blondes walked down the idyllic road that would eventually lead them to favorite semi-restaurant. It was honestly a nice day, not insanely humid, and the sun didn't feel like it would burn your skin off. It almost had a calming effect on the boy as he walked down beside the guardrail, enjoying the sight of shimmering water. Come to think of it, he never really took the time to enjoy the scenery.

"So whaddya see?" Yang elbowed him in the side bringing him back to Earth.

"A lot of teacher stuff."

Yang raised her eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Like code of ethics and crap like that." He recalled. "A lot of law crap by the looks of it," Jaune recalled as they kept walking down the street, noting how few canoes rowing down the river. "I don't have a good feeling about any of this."

His blonde friend gave a slight push, "You never have a good feeling about anything."

"That's not true!" He retorted defensively crossing his arms. "I have plenty of good feelings…"

"Name one." Yang countered.

He should have expected that yet he still didn't have an answer. Maybe she was right? Maybe he didn't have any good in his life. There really wasn't anything for him to look forward to? That's so terribly depressing. Yet… there was one thing that shined in his mind, "You guys." He blurted out.

He felt an arm drape across his shoulders dragging him into a small one armed hug. "You're such a suck up." Yang smiled, rolling her eyes.

"I have to be if I'm living with you guys." He countered as he broke away with a smirk. Yet something loomed in the back of his mind. A dark, very dark, anxious cloud that he suppressed.

"Yeah? That's all?" Yang asked, almost offended.

"Doesn't help that you're kind of awesome too. You get some bonus points for that too."

"Dang straight," Yang returned the smirk, "You aren't half bad yourself,"

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Yang." He chuckled as the two arrived at their favorite place to eat. After being greeted by the friendly store owner and his sidekick taking their orders, they finally sat down. Only for Yang's phone to vibrate, "Sorry." She mumbled giving a quick glance at the screen "It's Pyrrha."

He nodded to the phone, "Invite her over." Jaune offered which stunned the blonde momentarily.

"You sure?" She asked.

"Yeah…. I mean as long she doesn't know our situation." He smiled

Yang blinked before speaking, "No of course not, don't be silly."

She opened up her phone and quickly texted back before receiving another buzz. "She's with Blake."

"Tell her to come as well." Jaune nodded causing her look at him questioningly. "Really, I don't have a problem with it."

She went back to her phone quickly tapping another message to get a reply back moments later, "they're on their way. Aren't you being a little social butterfly?"

"Well, it's not fair if I prevent you from hanging out with your other friends."

"Jaune- it's not like that…." Yang frowned causing the boy to chuckle.

"It was a joke." Yet in reality, there was some truth to that statement. However, his friend didn't find it funny. "For real though, I don't mind either of them. They're good people."

Soon enough, the other two girls walked in also greeting the owner and sidekick, ordering their own food. "Hi guys!" Yang waved them over

"Hello!" Pyrrha practically sang followed by a more subdued Blake.

"Yang, Jaune." The raven haired girl greeted taking a seat beside Yang as the redhead sat beside Jaune. "I won't lie… I was a little-surprised hearing the both of you here. I told Pyrrha that we shouldn't interrupt a date."

The two blondes look at one another… the sheer thought…. was just so… "Blake, don't be rude!" Pyrrha swatted her friend's arm.

"Oh… we aren't dating!" Jaune stated a little loudly.

"Y-yeah!" Yang tried to back him up, "we're just good friends!"

They could see the quiet girl's mischievous smirk, "Right, sure."

"Blake, you're being an ass." Yang remarked bluntly.

"As long as I'm your only ass…" Blake gave a sly little smirk with a wink.

Jaune blinked as he listened to this back and forth. He turned to Pyrrha whispering, "Are they always like this?"

"I'm afraid so…." She whispered back.

As Blake and Yang teased one another over various things, it gave time for Pyrrha and Jaune to get caught up. She had a slightly looked to her, something that made him kind of uncomfortable. "What happened? I've been trying to get a hold of you in the past couple of days."

Shit. Come to think of it… he couldn't remember what happened to it. The last time he remembered having was the last day he was at band camp…. _Oh no._ He froze, creating an awkward moment of silence as he tried to concoct a believable explanation. _Dropping it is pretty believable, right?_ "I…. uhh… dropped it." He fumbled out.

He could see the red head studying him with a frown before giving a depressing shrug. "Well if you need anything, let me know." She gave a quick smile. _Why would I need anything?_

"Uhh…. sure." He smiled.

"What've you been up too?" She decided to change subjects.

 _How can I even answer that? Ya just been living with Yang all summer cause I have abusive parents… yeah the usual. BAND._ "Nothing much, he shrugged as he took a sip from his water. "Just been doing a lot of band stuff. Yang's mom has been working us real hard."

The redhead's eyebrow quirked up slightly, "Oh yeah…? So I suppose you heard about the competition then?"

Jaune nodded with a hushed sigh, "Yeah…. I don't know if I'm going to be in it though, some… things came up." He could see a frown creep up on her face as sadness had fallen over her emerald eyes.

"A shame… I was looking to compete against you." He could hear her disappointment.

"Definitely. But if not, I'll still be there. We can hang out at the fair then." He offered.

The smile and joy came back to the tall red head. "That sounds grand!"

"I'll fill your pillow with ketchup" He heard Blake threaten causing everyone to gasp.

"I'll burn your books!" Yang boasted with a confident smirk.

"Huh… looks like we missed something." Jaune chimed earning a chuckle from Pyrrha.

"Indeed we have."

Blake gave her blonde girl friend a cold shoulder, "Yang's being a block head over Sun again."

Pyrrha straightened up slightly, "Oh my…." It sounded as if the redhead had heard this conversation many times over again.

Jaune looked at the raven-haired for an explanation, "Yang set a friend and me up on a date…"

"It went well!" Yang defended herself.

"It shouldn't have happened!" Blake shook her head almost defeatedly, "He was more of a brother than anything."

 _Ohhhh that would suck…. Poor guy._ "Are you guys good now?" He asked.

"Yeah… it was awkward at first after I told him how I felt but we smoothed it over."

"It was a good thing though… it got you out of your shell."

Pyrrha leaned in whispering, "It really did."

"Hey! I heard that!"

"I'm starting to miss the quiet Blake…" Yang sighed. "She was never this stubborn."

"I was plenty stubborn, I just kept to myself." She smirked.

"That's how you do it." Jaune agreed earning a thumbs up,

"He knows."

* * *

"Jesus… we really dug a hole for ourselves." Qrow rubbed his temples as everyone else continued to go through the numerous packets and folder, looking for anything that might give them a clue.

"Done." Raven closed her laptop. "I hope you know this Ironwood." She shot her brother a look.

"Yeah, he's a good guy. We served together in Bosnia, saved my life in fact." He noted in a hushed voice

"You don't talk about that.." Summer looked at him, her arm entwined with his.

"It's nothing," He shook his head trying to banish the things he saw. Clearing his throats, he needed to switch gears. There were reasons why he didn't talk about his deployment. He tried so desperately to bury what happened.

His sister frowned. Qrow's time in the military made things tense. When he came back, he seemed more… serious... Like he lost a part of himself. "Sorry, Qrow. I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine." He abruptly cut her off.

"We'll drop it." Taiyang spoke up as he looked at everyone getting nods of approval, "but if you ever wanna talk about it, just know you have friends and family. Let's just call it a day." Taiyang suggested earning the approval from everyone.

So they went about organizing their packets, notes, and documents into various folders.

"You know…" Raven nudged her husband, "We need to get Jaune a phone."

"I'll do it tomorrow."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hey guys! I have a new chapter once again! I won't lie... this is more of a filler chapter as well as a little bit more delving into the legal complexities of possible court cases and government hearings (government hearings as in Department of Education.) We're starting to see how the adults are dealing with it as well as Jaune trying to find out what's going on.**

 **Also... I wanted to get some more Blake and Pyrrha involved as well.**

 **Finally... I think some of you are going to love me for what I'm going to do next chapter... or hate me... Next chapter is the County Fair!**

 **Also... I'll be streaming tomorrow from 12-4 and 7-11 tomorrow. Come on by and say hi at lordxsauronx15**

 **Reviews!**

 **King Kaiju VI: I'm glad you liked the chapter, hopefully school is going well!**

 **Pyropuppet: Hey my friend! I'm glad you've binge ready my story... that must have been a task lol. Although it saddens me that it can influence your depression and anxiety (which is not my attention) I am glad that you've continued on. I wanted to portray these kind of things on a realistic level that people experience after going through traumatic events. However, I try to stay true to the characters in the show in this setting, you can imagine how difficult it can be lol. As for the relationship between Jaune and Weiss... just know that things can always change as is life. I also enjoy writing scenes with (basically team STRQ) in a family setting. I wanted to portray that there are many different kind of families, not all of them good not all of them bad, all of them in the grey area. (I honestly don't mind the rambling, I love it to be honest.) Hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **Tondori: Any kind of questions or thoughts, I'm glad to respond to :D As for corrupted, I'm aware, what I've been doing was re-uploading the older chapters and has been notifying as the summary chapter. HOWEVER! The next (real) chapter will be coming out next week!**

 **ZHsteven: I would respond to these reviews individually, but I've gotten lazy lol. I also meant to pm privately, but school got in the way lol (oopsy! sorry) However, I'm glad you've enjoyed the chapter. I know the stereotypical Highschool AU, but I wanted to break that genre. I realize that some of them are inserts, but teen drama was something trivial. But I wanted to tackle real life issues in a semi-realistic manner. Also I wanted to show how it might develop someone growing and their perception of the world. Im glad you enjoy the series. Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **Big Bad Beowulf: Hello my friend! Hopefully I don't disappoint! You're support is always truly appreciated!**


	29. Chapter 29: The County Fair

**Chapter 29: The County Fair**

 **A/N: You may love me, or you may hate me.**

* * *

 _Man, oh man, the county fair. We had so much fun. The first one I spent with my new family, it wasn't a bad time… even with… well… the complication. God, I remember Ruby winning a bear that was double her size. In fact… I think she still has it, somewhere…._

 _Hehehe… You should have seen Summer's face. She lit up like a Christmas tree helping her daughter stuff it into the back of their car. Though, I can attest it was not comfortable for Yang or me as well. What was her excuse?_

" _Well, you're at the fair! You need at least one giant teddy bear."_

 _Sheesh._

 _Yet even in these times of light-heartedness, fate often strikes. One action propels another and so on and so on in the wheel of fate that keeps on spinning._

 **Last Week of Summer Break**

 **County Fair.**

Today was the day…. Jaune let out a small as he looked out the window as he watched the trees and farm fields zoom by.

Jaune made a promise to go, not that he wouldn't mind or anything. If anything, he wanted to go. He always enjoyed the county fair. As a kid, it was the only real time his family went out and enjoyed themselves. Granted, he was really, really little.

"Man… I'm looking forward to some funnel cakes!" Taiyang muttered as he continued to drive the car.

He remembered what the funnel cakes tasted like; he always shared one with his own dad. "You realize that it's just deep fried dough, right?" Summer rolled her eyes from the passenger seat.

"With sugar.. a lot of sugar…" Jaune could practically feel the moisture from Tai's drooling.

"You're missing out…. Deep fried pickles are the way to go." Summer pointed out causing Jaune to blink at the statement. _Deep. Fried. Pickles?_

"Groooooossssss Mom!" Ruby gagged, "French fries, simple and easy."

"And boring." Yang rolled her eyes, "Milkshakes, so many flavors. All of the flavors."

Jaune couldn't argue with that logic. Milkshakes were pretty amazing. Especially strawberry milkshakes. Strawberry milkshakes are the best kind of milkshakes. Yet Jaune preferred greaser things.

"No, you're all wrong though." Jaune finally chimed in, "Cheesesteaks. Cheesesteaks are the best."

* * *

Now let's see. There are a few things worth noting at the County Fair. First off were the animals. With the animals came obviously the smell, most notably, dung. Though thankfully, the animals are kept towards the outside of the fairgrounds right beside the race track. Unfortunately, that was where the bands would be marching and playing.

One of the other features of the county fairs were the intense rivalries between the different school districts. The people of Pine County tended to be how you say…. Hillbillies to be the politest. People tend not to leave the county when they grow up here… for some god awful reason. Our people forced themselves into different camps that they attended or resided in. That being, the oldest and most famous rivalry was between Newport School District and West Pine School District. The other two school districts aren't even worth mentioning…. To be honest, no one cares about them, they're way too insignificant especially when it came to bands.

Jaune followed the group's lead taking in the smells and sounds of the fair. Bittersweet memories popped into his mind until he flushed them down. _Now was a time for new memories._ "I think I see their bus." Summer pointed out at a school bus that was most certainly a West Pine bus. It was a new model, sleek build with a white roof, often referred to as the twinkie bus.

Jaune froze in his tracks realizing what beyond these vehicles meant. Questions. A lot of questions. Cardin… Russell…. And Weiss… He meant to get in touch with them. Yet he found it hard. He didn't want to deal with the sympathy, the pity, and most importantly, Weiss.

As much as he wanted to reach out to her, to ease her mind, he would admit that he was being selfish when he admitted that he couldn't do it. Not with everything that had just happened within the past couple of weeks.

 _What am I even going to say to them?_

He felt a hand squeeze his own practically startling him. Blue eyes looked down at his hand to see another hand squeezing his own. He looked up to see a concerned Yang. "You can do this." She reassured him, giving him another confident squeeze. "How much do they know?"

"Only that I have a heart condition. I really don't talk about myself."

"Just say your parents couldn't take you and a childhood friend offered to take you instead," Yang suggested. _Yeah. That seems pretty believable. Right? Right._ He pulled his hand away with a semi-confident smile. "That's better. Just need to do this bit, meet up with Pyrrha and Blake, and that'll be it."

He marched forward confidently and caught up with Ruby, Tai, and Summer. They rounded the other side of the bus to be greeted with the West Pine's Band members looking directly at Jaune with almost stunned looks.

No one moved an inch as Jaune scanned the some twenty people. In the back, he could see Weiss, Cardin, and Russell in the very back towards the trailer with the all the percussion equipment. Thankfully they hadn't noticed.

"Come on guys!" Jaune could hear Qrow's voice coming from the bus as he stuck his head out. "Well I'll be fish out of water..." Qrow stepped out acting completely shocked. He was actually good, really good. "Jaune! What are you doing here!"

 _Game time._ He shrugged his shoulders casually, "I felt bad for missing the competition," He walked through the small crowd that had gathered. "I wanted to support all of you."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Qrow asked as the other band kids nodded in agreement. Now, Jaune knew this was all a part of a show, but Jaune also had the strange feeling he was genuine at the same time.

"Yeah yeah," He played along, "I'm not going to let something small get me down."

The man looked at him with glaring suspicion. "Alright, if you're feeling well enough." He gestured for Jaune to approach closer as Yang hanged towards the back. He came up to the bus where Qrow placed a hand on his shoulder. "Just take it easy. We are anxiously waiting for your return."

"Thank you, Mr. Branwen and everyone." He looked out of the corner of his eye to see Yang inched closer staying along the outskirts.

Suddenly the man jumped off the last step on the bus. He eagerly clapped his hands, "Let's get a move on people." With that, his fellow bandees went about getting their uniform and instruments ready.

As he walked by his fellow peers, they stopped to wish him well and the best of luck. Until a very familiar face stopped him. Her brown eyes that matched her long flowing hair stared at him. For a moment, Jaune felt as if he somehow provoked the girl into slapping him again as she glared at him.

Yet he didn't back down as the two just looked over one another. That was until she gave a quick and modest hug that stunned him. As she pulled away, the strict, no-nonsense was gone. It was the shy girl again. "Jaune…" She whispered, "I'm so sorry… I didn't know about your… condition."

He narrowed his eyes, almost expecting as if it were some kind of trick. _She's never like this around me. She either wants nothing to do with me or despises my guts._ Those were on good days as well. "Really… I'm…. I'm really sorry for hitting you. I acted like a child…"

He couldn't believe what he was saying either. "I don't hold it against you, Velvet. You were just looking out for your friend." They stood in silence as he gritted his teeth. _Why the hell did you say that? She bitch- slapped you. She doesn't understand a damn thing yet you're letting her off the hook?_

Yet the look on her face, the pure guilt… it hurt him to see it. "But… I hit you." She stammered.

' _Yes. Yes, I am.'_ He shot back. "Really Velvet, there is nothing to forgive."

That seemed to have done the trick as the brunette smiled and moved aside. "Well, I don't want to hold you up. I'm sure Percussion wants to see you just as much." With that Jaune left, wishing them luck.

As he managed to get out of the crowd, Ruby and Yang met up with him. "Natural actor." Ruby grinned.

"Broadway level." Yang nodded in agreement, "I don't know how you're so good at it."

 _Been doing it all my life._ He mentally retorted. "So who was that girl…?" Yang asked.

They continued to walk along the bus as they were getting closer to the trailer where percussion was setting their gear up. "One of Weiss' friends, Velvet. She's the drum major for the band."

"You know… I thought a fight was going to break out for a moment." Yang thought out loud.

Jaune shrugged, "I know… we haven't been on the best of terms."

"Whose Weiss…?" Ruby asked out loud as the side door of the trailer swung open, revealing a pale girl with long white hair tied into a ponytail.

"That would be me…." The girl said crossing her arms. "And who are you…?" It was clear she was a little hostile as Ruby took several steps back trying to avoid her ice cold eyes.

"I'm-" She didn't get to finish the statement as the white-haired girl practically gasped.

In a blink of an eye, she dashed out of the trailer, nearly tackling Jaune to the ground had it not been for Yang to offer a counterbalance. "Jaune!" She practically cried out, burying her head into his shoulder and starting to cry. This was the moment he was dreading.

The moment where he would have to face his contradictions. His forced exile, his desire to return. His abandonment yet reconnection with a dear friend. His coldness within his mind yet the fire in his heart. It was a strange paradox. A paradox that defied his ability to thinks through rationally. He craned his neck ever so slightly to see Yang watch impassively as if waiting to pass judgment. Ruby, Ruby was definitely more sympathetic as she practically fawned over the two embracing one another.

He could feel her arms tighten around him as if he were an animal trying to escape. He could feel her shuddering up against him as if someone in the dead of winter as she released another sob. Yet he couldn't help himself as he embraced her even more tightly. "Weiss…"

"Don't talk." She commanded in a tone that belied her current state, prompting him to obey and stay quiet.

The girl in his arms slowly looked up, her blue eyes filled with an almost unexplainable relief, a relief that Jaune knew all too well. Yet there were still tears of guilt streaming down her face against her best efforts to pull herself together.

"What's wrong?" Jaune asked as she brought her hand up, wiping away a tear.

"I almost killed you…." She whimpered. God. The sound of her voice, how small she felt… her overall appearance right now was something he knew he would never be able to forget.

He blinked before lowering his head first in guilt, but as he felt his hair and then the rest of his head brush against Weiss' own, he felt something else. Something he'd almost forgotten about until that card. He felt the bond between them only growing stronger. "No…" He whispered. "It wasn't your fault. It could never be your fault."

"Jaune…" He heard his name barely above a whisper being breathed from Weiss' lips as he felt her head roll up to look into his eyes, barely centimeters from his own. He could feel a flush rising in his cheeks that seemed to mirror Weiss' own. The two locked eyes for a moment, staring into seas of blue and.. forgiveness.

Yang cleared her throat rather roughly, making Jaune look up to see the rest of percussion, Russell, Cardin, and Raven watching. All of them with smirks glued to their faces. Yang didn't even bother hiding her opinion. "Hey now you two, there are children present." She pointed towards Ruby.

"HEY!" Jaune and Weiss let out an awkward chuckle at Ruby's expense as the rest of the group approached.

"Hey Jauney boy!" Cardin called out him, which led to the knee-jerk reaction of instantly and accidentally pushing Weiss away. Rather than insulted, she seemed to understand this time as she tried to straighten herself up as best she could without ruffling up her uniform too much.

 _Well…. Fuck me…._ He huffed. _They're not going to let me live that down._ "Hey, guys." He waved as he headed over to them. "Hey, Raven…"

"Hope we aren't interrupting anything." Russell teased, patting the blonde boy's shoulder. Jaune only shook his head as Cardin grabbed and pulled him into a bear hug, lifting him off the ground.

"Where have you been DUDE!" Cardin rejoiced as Jaune tried to struggle out of the death grip.

"Errr… uh…. Ya… know…. Round…." He managed until he finally felt the ground again and also noticing that his back felt much better. Cardin looked over to see the little brunette girl with silver eyes and the bombshell blonde that seemed to follow Jaune.

"Who are your friends?" He asked still eyeing the blonde girl.

Now… if Jaune could guess, the less than romantic thoughts running through Cardin's thick skull. It would probably be in the best interest of both parties if they didn't know each other…. But mostly for Cardin's sake. "Before you say anything, she's a childhood friend…"

"And my daughter." Raven towered over Cardin, crossing her arms with a look of pure displeasure, a look that told everyone not to even think about it. Apparently, the message was received as nodded hesitantly. If Jaune didn't know Raven, she would be less than pleased with Cardin right now for even considering something. She had to be amused of his instant sheepness. Cardin immediately scurried away toward Russell as Jaune noticed how they were standing particularly away from Weiss and the newcomers. "It's good to see you." She said, still putting on the show that her brother started.

"Good to be back." Jaune agreed as he watched Weiss open up the quad case with the help of Ruby. Apparently, the two introduced one another without Jaune paying attention. In reality, he didn't care. However, he did care about the fact that Weiss was pulling out his own instrument. "Weiss is playing tenor now?" He asked.

The raven-haired woman nodded. "I should have told you, but I figure you had enough on your mind." He shot her a glance noticing the slight guilt in her eyes. _Keeping more secrets from me…_

"You could have just told me…" Jaune whispered just loud enough for her to hear. "But I guess keeping secrets is the usual now."

Silence. Yet this wasn't a good way to end the "show." Especially with everyone here. It might be prudent to end it on a good note."So are you guys ready?"

Cardin and Russell reneged with their harnesses drums, slipping the drums over their necks. Weiss finally managed to get the quads on with the help of Ruby. "Should we show him?" Raven called out, suppressing the guilt that weighed heavily in her mind.

Jaune missed it. He missed all of it. It was one thing to do it, but to see a group of people snap to attention simultaneously. With a nod from Raven, Russell started a tap off. . . . . . . . !

Just like that, they started to play Jaune's favorite thing in the world, the cadence. Yet he couldn't himself but stare at Weiss as he watched her play. Just like everything about her, it was truly flawless.

Her mastery of the quads was impressive. Very impressive. Her hands glided across the drums as if she were ice skating, such pose, such refinement for a dainty girl wearing a forty pound drum over her. It was impressive. Though it struck him as he watched her, _I wasn't needed._ They were able to do this all by their self.

"You two seemed pretty close there…." Yang whispered.

"It was a mistake getting that close." Jaune retorted as he watched.

"You know, there is nothing wrong with having feelings." He felt a small nudge in his side.

He looked at the blonde who had a genuine smile that he would usually found reassuring. _Not when those people can be hurt by said feelings_.

Ruby seemed I have fawned a little but for the most part didn't bring it up. He just hoped, he looked out of the corner of his eye staring at the women, that she wouldn't bring it up.

TAP!

"How was it?" Raven asked as she stood proud and tall over percussion.

"Good." He responded bluntly as he walked over towards Weiss. Sensing that he wanted to talk them, Raven realized it was probably better to get the others away from the two. "Russell, Cardin, go put away the cases." the tone in her voice ended any idea of complaints that they might have had. "I'm going to go and meet up with Qrow to get us registered." With that, Raven was gone.

Likewise, Yang realized that it was probably better to let the two of them have a moment. "Hey Rubes, let's go find Pyrrha and Blake." Jaune turned slightly, smiling in appreciation. The blonde girl gave him a thumbs up as he walked up towards Weiss.

The petite girl seemed to be managing herself quite well under the extra weight as she lifted the drums and harness off easily. She straightened herself up to be met with Jaune walking over. "Hey…" He started. "You did pretty well. You didn't seem to need me teaching you."

"I still wouldn't have minded if you taught me." She insisted.

"I guess so…" He kicked the ground shyly, avoiding eye contact. "About… uh… earlier… I should have… I mean… I shouldn't have-"

He felt a hand a slip into his', fingers intertwining around his. Sapphire eyes widened as he simply stared at the ground. "Jaune… please look at me." His eyes slowly drifted upward to meet Weiss' gaze. The two locked eyes, their eyes entranced with one another. He lost a sense of location, a sense of time, anything that would have helped him ground himself in reality. Something to tell him to stop.

Yet there was nothing, only her.

"I miss you, Jaune." She whispered as she squeezed his hand. "I… don't know what to think or feel, but I do know one thing. I need you. I… I don't know what to do… or say. I mean with Neptune… and us… I don't know."

 _Neptune. Neptune. Neptune. Neptune._ That name almost sent Jaune to a bloody path of destruction, costing him one, if not his only, close confidant and friend. He had to suppress the anger, the resentment, the pure, unfiltered rage. "Do what you think is right." Jaune breathed, breaking eye contact as he looked out towards the field at the center of the race track. "I don't want to get in the way."

He felt a sharp yank causing him to return back to reality and an angry Weiss, "I'm not saying I don't like you! If you asked me out when you did, I would have said yes! I realize that now, but I don't want to hurt Neptune."

Jaune blinked. She just basically admitted she had feelings…. For me….? It made his heart giddy with excitement, something that almost startled him, causing him to inhale deeply. "So… what are you saying?"

It was her turn to break eye contact as she looked out towards the field. "I'm saying I need time to think about all of this. But I want you to promise me something."

Nothing. Silence, though Jaune would have done almost anything for her.

"I want you to promise me, no matter what, we'll always be friends at the very least. I don't want to lose you." She whispered.

Against his better judgment. "I promise," and at that, he was pulled into a less intimate, but no less cherished hug. He wrapped his arms around pulling her in as he felt a smile slowly form that was until he caught the sight of blue hair and the blue eyes that came with it, staring at him. _Oh God, no._

* * *

"Shit!" Yang cursed realizing what had just happened.

"What is it, Yang?" Ruby asked.

If it was true, what Jaune said about Neptune…. Something bad was going to happen. "Yang?" Pyrrha eyed her friend carefully. "What is it?"

Now Yang, watched intently as Jaune was hugging this Weiss' girl. The very same girl that boyfriends with Neptune who was watching the two intently.

"Shit." She cursed again. "Pyr, Ruby, We need to distract Neptune!" Confused silver and emerald eyes met determined. "I'll explain later!" The determination and seriousness in her tone solved any doubts. Whatever reason, it must have been good."

Pyrrha was the first to get moving, "Neptune." She called out causing the blue-eyed boy to pause momentarily.

"What is it?" He turned, clearly something was agitating him. His usually relaxed, easy going attitude gone as he clenched his fists.

"Could you help me go over some rhythms? I wanna make sure I'm good for the performance?" She asked sweetly.

"Do it yourself," He grunted, stunning Pyrrha. He was never like this. The tall redhead looked off in the distance to see Ruby dashing into the ground, falling right in front of the boy.

Now, any normal person would have helped a fallen girl, especially a girl as sweet as Ruby Rose. Neptune simply stepped over her, muttering "Clumsy bitch."

"Hey!" The girl protested as she watched him not even give a second glance. Yang immediately offered her cousin a hand and helped her up to her feet.

"You alright?"

"Yeah…" Ruby murmured. Once satisfied that her cousin was alright she stormed past the crowds and tried to intercept the blue-haired boy before he reached his targets.

"Hey, you piece of shit!" Yang growled as she stomped over to him grabbing him by the shoulder. She whirled him around as two furious teens looked at one another. "You don't ever talk shit on my family Vasilias."

"Not now, Xiao-Long." He rolled his eyes. "I have more important things to deal with your deadbeat cousin."

Just like that Yang snapped, slamming her fist into his gut causing him to drop to the ground. "You may think you're hot shit or God's greatest child on Earth, but you're nothing but proud little shit." She wanted to smash her foot into the gasping boy's gut but was able to subdue the urge partially. She knelt down beside him, avoiding a scene and helping him up off the ground. "But if you think about fucking with Jaune, I will beat your face in like I did to your good old pal, Lark. We clear?"

"Why….do you even care?" He grunted as he scowled at the blonde.

"Because… shits like you don't get to fuck with the people I care about." She shoved him away from Jaune and his friend. "Now get!"

The boy stumbled as he clutched his stomach, he winced in pain as he straightened himself up. "You made a mistake Xiao-Long." He threatened lowly causing Yang only to crack her knuckles in response sending the message to the boy. He skulked off as Yang turned to see Jaune who was still holding his friend.

She couldn't help but smile as his stunned expression. She gave him a thumbs up causing him to smile. _It's good to see him smile._ She thought to herself as Ruby and Pyrrha caught up to Yang.

"Yang… what was that! Why did you do that!" Her smaller cousin pulled on her arm.

Pyrrha kept watching Neptune who seemed pretty deflated. "Yang…. that wasn't smart…"

She looked up at her taller friend, "someone needed to put his smug ass down a few feet." She nodded towards Jaune, "Neptune forced Jaune to end his friendship with that girl, Neptune's girlfriend."

"Wow…" Pyrrha whispered. "I knew something was off about him.

"You did what was right," Ruby said as she smiled at Jaune's happiness with a proudness for her older cousin.

"It's more complicated than that." Yang murmured with only silence between the three girls. "If I tell you, you can't say a word to anyone, and I mean anyone."

Pyrrha and Yang looked at one another. It was a no brained. "We promise."

* * *

 **Dut... . DiggaDiggaDigga Dut. Dut. Dut... . DiggaDiggaDigga Dut. Dut. Dut... . DiggaDiggaDigga Dut. Dut. Dut...Dut. Dut. Dut…. DUT DUT.**

God, he missed the cadence. He listened happily as the band as the band silently marched in crisp locked step to the behind of the percussion. Their performance was good, Weiss especially surprising, but he missed this the most. The military precision in a combination of the uniqueness of percussion standing out of the uniformity. It was the percussion that set the beat, making them masters of the band when it came to marching. That and cadence were just soooo damn catchy.

 **Dut... . DiggaDiggaDigga Dut. Dut. Dut... . DiggaDiggaDigga Dut. Dut. Dut... . DiggaDiggaDigga Dut. Dut. Dut...Dut. Dut. Dut…. DUT DUT.**

Like, come on…. So catchy. He kept a special ear out for Weiss as he watched approach. "You miss it, don't you?" Ruby asked as she bobbed her head to the rhythm.

Jaune nodded as he soaked in the sound of unified drums tapping to a beat. "I do, it sucks I'll never be able to do it again…" He sighed as he watched longingly.

He felt a light tap on his shoulder, "Don't say that," Yang tried to cheer him up, "Think of it as a forced break till you get better."

He wanted to counter that. He wanted to say that he'd never get out. He wanted to say it was more of an exile. Yet he kept quiet. "Don't worry," Yang patted him on the shoulder. "You'll get better. I know it." He simply nodded in acknowledgment.

"Hey, guys." Out of nowhere, Blake appeared beside the three of them as they all leaned on the fence watching the bands go around the track. "Parents thought it started an hour later. What I miss?"

"Performances," Jaune answered, "They're doing the marching segment now."

"Neptune-" Ruby didn't get to finish the thought as Yang immediately clamped her mouth shut.

"Oh, nothing." Yang smiled causing Jaune and Blake to look at the firecracker. Jaune wasn't an idiot, he saw everything, but he didn't bring it up. Though Blake, she seemed curious about it. "Neptune had a pretty rad solo."

With that, the Newport band marched by, their blue and red uniforms with their cavalier hats and plumes flying by. It made him sick as he could instantly recognize Neptune, their eyes locking one another before he passed. Followed behind the band, came Newport's drumline, Pyrrha leading them in the cadence. It wasn't hard to miss her, the girl height a good indication as well as her long red ponytail.

Jaune had to admit they were pretty good. But that wasn't for him to decide, that decision would be made by the judges. Once the bands did one full lap, they did another one that led to the exit of the racetrack for good measure, not that Jaune would complain, he could listen to bands and drumlines all day. "You guys aren't so bad." Yang complimented causing him to raise an eyebrow

"Not so bad? We've been in states and came in fifth place." Jaune defended himself.

"Just under us." Blake reminded him causing him to furrow his brows.

"You're both really good." Ruby tried to soothe the two sides. He watched as the bands formed up around their perspective areas, by their buses lined outside the track. About fifteen minutes of deliberation, the results were in.

West Pine received first place,

Newport,

Greenwood,

Susquenita.

With that, Jaune crossed his arms with a self-accomplished smirk.

* * *

Jaune hanged back as the band kids, dressed out of their uniform. Soon enough he saw Cardin and Russell, which he congratulated. They asked if he wanted to hang out, but he had to politely decline, previous plans were already made.

With that, the two boys waved Jaune off as he was met up with Weiss, "Not too bad, you guys deserved it." He nodded in approval,

"We deserve it." She corrected placing a hand on his shoulder. "Did you wanna get something to eat-" Her sentence trailed off as her eyes widened.

"WEISS!" Neptune shouted, clearly angry, and keeping his distance. "Come on! Let's go!"

Jaune could see the conflict in her eyes; she shifted uncomfortably weighing her options when he made her choice for her, "Go ahead. It's fine." He could see that she was going to protest when he urged her, "Really, Weiss. It's fine, go enjoy yourself." He actually meant it as his eyes slowly met Neptune's the two boys locking eyes.

"We'll talk later." She grabbed his hand, giving a quick squeeze. "I promise."

That must have pissed off Neptune "WEISSSS!" He roared taking a step forward causing Yang to move closer, doing her signature knuckle cracking, causing him to back off.

For once in a very long while, he looked forward it. With Weiss trailing behind an irate Neptune, Jaune wandered over to his friends. "The guy is an asshole…" Blake murmured to herself as he watched the blue-haired boy stomp off.

"Unfortunately, I would have to agree." Pyrrha agreed as she wiped a sweat caked bang from her eye.

"I feel bad for her…" Ruby frowned.

"Let's just try and enjoy ourselves today," Jaune suggested as Yang pointed over off in the distance by the buses. "Parents." Soon enough the group arrived.

"Mrs. and Mr. Branwen, Mr. Xiao-Long, Mrs. Rose." Blake and Pyrrha greeted which the adults returned.

Raven crossed her arms, a confident smirk on her face while she stared at Pyrrha, "Wanna switch over?"

However, Pyrrha was not be swayed, "I'm very much content, thank you."

Yang facepalmed, that was quite the usual between the two now. "Face it, Mom. You aren't going to get her."

"One day…." She tapped her fingers, Emily.

"Honey! Can we go! I wanna go to the cake wheel!" Tai pleaded like a child.

"Cake wheel?" Jaune asked causing everyone to gasp.

"You. Can't. Be. Serious." Summer's jaw dropped.

"Come on!" Yang grabbed his wrist and dragged him almost as if he were a doll followed by everyone else who keep hold down their laughter.

"They better have my strawberry cake…." Qrow muttered, "Or they will be hell to pay. _Hell to pay._ "

XXXXXXX

Jaune could see the determination in her eyes as they went by tents, vendors, and rides until they all came up to an ordinary tent with a large railing erected for customers to lean on. On this railing were dates and numbers, that Jaune found that coordinated with a large wheel behind the railing. In between the railing and wheel was a large table filled with cakes, and a lot of them.

"So what is this?" Jaune asked eyeing the railing.

Yang followed by everyone else stepped up. She waved him over to beside her, "it's easy, just place a quarter on a date and hope the wheel lands on it. If you win, you get to pick a cake."

His eyes fell upon the table. "Any cake…?"

"Oh any cake," Blake smirked fiendishly at the red velvet cake.

Everyone picked their numbers. With a group of nine people, it would be lucky. So he decided to try an ordinary number, October 23rd. He looked over to Yang who had picked July 15th. "Why did you pick that day?" To Jaune, that was a highly unlucky number. The day he was born. The day of the incident.

"Just got a lucky feeling."

Once the bets were made, the wheel was spun, slowly chucking through the months and days. The click-clack of the rubber stoppers slowing down until it hit.

July 15. "It's the day I met you." She grinned which made him smile. Indeed. Maybe it was a bad day, a day where he wouldn't be able to live at home anymore, yet there was an ultimate good that he finally realized. She was right, the day I met you. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing.

"What cake do you want?" The game master asked. Yang turned to Jaune questioningly.

Strawberry fine with you?"

"Yep."

With that, Yang picked the cake, shooing away a jealous Uncle Qrow who was practically drooling. "Go away Uncle Qrow!" she waved him off.

"First round and you got a cake?" Her aunt gave her a high five, "Pretty good luck charm," causing both blondes to look at each other.

"Yannnnnnng….. you're my favorite niece!" Qrow begged with puppy eyes.

"Hush now. Win your own damn cake." Raven bopped him on top of the head, "Besides, everyone knows that coconut cake is the best cake."

Tai gagged, "How did I end up marrying such a freak…" which was returned with on a bop on the head.

With that, the five kids wandered off towards the large pavilions set up as a miniature food court. They happened to find napkins, forks, and knives. They chose to sit on the very outskirts of the pavilion, each taking a seat at the picnic table. "You know… you don't have to share it…" Pyrrha looked up at Yang appreciatively.

"Shut it, Pyr. If I'm eating cake, all of you're going to help me." She removed the plastic cover to reveal a rather large cake. "Besides, I don't want to be carrying this with me all night."

Blake was the first to act as she leaned in, cutting a corner piece for herself. "Makes sense to me." She said with a mouthful of cake.

"No fair!" Ruby protested. "I want a corner piece!"

Yang rolled her eyes, as she cut Ruby an extra large slice of cake causing the little girl to grin as if it were Christmas, "You're the best!"

"I know…." The blonde girl looked at her redheaded friend.

"Any will do." She answered modestly causing Yang to cut a corner piece. "Thank you," She smiled as she accepted her portion.

She then turned to Jaune, "Take the corner piece." Jaune told the blonde, "I'm not a fan of all the icing." He lied, but it was her cake, it should be her choice, and knowing Yang, she'd want a corner piece.

"You sure?" She asked.

He nodded with a smile, "Yes, Yang, I'm sure."

With that, the five of them enjoyed their cake though each one of them had two more pieces before it was all gone. To say they were filled was an understatement. To say that they were in food comas was putting it mildly.

Ruby collapsed on the table, letting out an infectious yawn. Jaune had to rub his eyes multiple times to prevent himself from dozing off.

*BBBBBBUUUUURRRRPPPP* Yang belched loudly causing everyone, including Ruby to drop their jaws. Yang let out an awkward chuckle. "Ooopsy… excuse me."

"Not bad…." Jaune complimented with a chuckle with everyone joining in.

* * *

She was in trouble. A lot of trouble. The way he stomped around, the eery silence, his hand clamped around her wrist as if the old medieval irons. The force he used. He hadn't said much as he occasionally glanced back at her as if to make sure she was still there. Yes, she was still there, and she wasn't going anywhere.

He kept pulling her along, keeping away from the center of the fair and keeping to the outskirts, causing the young white-haired girl to become nervous. _What is he doing?_ "Neptune?" She asked timidly.

The only response she received a tightening grip and a sharp yank causing Weiss to wince in pain. "Owww!" She yelped in pain. "Neptune, you're hurting me!"

Still no response. Only just going further and further away from the festival. "Neptune!"

Once they reached a secluded spot along the treeline that separated the fair from the festival, he stopped turning to face her, his grip tightening around her wrist. "What were you doing with _him?"_ He asked in calm, hushed voice.

She struggled to get free of his grasp. "Neptune, let go!" Weiss protested, not daring to look him in the eye, instead focusing on her escape.

*SLLLLLLLAAAAAPPPPP*

Time stopped, Weiss found herself clutching her cheek. A fresh, stinging sensation reverberated from red cheek. Her head rang as she tried to register what just happened. "You-" She heard a distant voice cry out, "filthy slut!"

*SLLLLLAAAAAAPPPPPP*

The stinging sensation only intensified as her head started to pound. _He….. struck me….._

"YOU THINK YOU CAN CHEAT ON ME?"

*SLLLLLLLAAAAAAAPPPPPP!*

She could feel her eyes began to water as teardrops started to run down her cheeks, whether from the pain, the betrayal, or both, she didn't know.

"Do you think I'm that stupid?"

*SLLLLLLAAAAAAAPPPP*

*THUD!*.

She felt the air leave her lungs as she landed on the ground. She tried to lift herself up, she tried to break away yet her mind was just static.

Her legs gave out as she fell to the ground. He finally let go as Weiss began to cry, her makeup ruined from her tears. "Please…" she whimpered, her shock wearing away. "Please… Neptune… please, I'm sorry…. …. I'm so incredibly sorry. No more…"

She felt the grip around her wrist loosen. She felt a small thud in the ground, but she didn't dare look as she brought her knees up to her chest. "Weiss." The return of cool, collected demeanor that attracted her to him, returned. _How could he just switch like that?_ Out of nowhere, he switched from a monster to the Neptune she called boyfriend.

She felt a hand on her shoulder causing her to shrink away. It was a trap. He wanted her to lower her guard. "I'm sorry." He whispered. It sounded genuine. Truly genuine. She hesitantly looked up, still trembling from the blows. "I love you…."

She blinked away her tears, still trying understand all of this. "I just don't want to lose you…" He sighed as stood up, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Despite all of the sounds of the fair, the tractors, the cars, the laughter of children, the sounds of merriment, all she heard was the ringing in her ears.

That ringing made her cry. Made her sob.

* * *

"Why did you pick that one?" Jaune asked as he watched the shorter girl struggle with a teddy bear that was twice her size as the group walked through the crowds of people.

"Everyone has to get at least one!" Ruby grinned as tried to lift the bear up, only for it to engulf her causing everyone to laugh.

"Give me that…" Yang rolled her eyes as she lifted the bear, "Do you realize how cramped the car is going to be?"

"But it'll be so comfortable!"

"Seems a little excessive…" Pyrrha agreed.

"Hey, the shorter you are, the more you need." Blake chimed in.

Ruby high-fived the raven-haired girl, "She gets it."

Jaune looked over his shoulder with a cheeky grin, "I can see it now, 'Ruby Rose, smothered to death by a massive teddy-bear.' It'll be a great story."

Yang let a quick chortle as she continued to drag the bear for her cousin, "I'd read it."

"And how would feel about your dear beloved cousin gone?" Ruby jumped in front of Yang with an inquisitive look.

"Meh, more cookies." Yang rolled her eyes causing Ruby to gasp.

"Harsh…" Blake chuckled.

Pyrrha placed a hand on the shorter redhead, "I, for one, would miss you," Ruby simply beamed with more energy as she practically skipped.

"This… this is a weird subject… can we talk about something else…?" He froze.

He saw Weiss in the middle of the crowd. A pit started to form in his stomach as he noticed that Neptune wasn't around. _Maybe he went home._ He thought to himself. "Jaune?" Pyrrha asked as the girls looked at one another.

Yet he couldn't respond as he watched the girl. She moved slowly, aimlessly, with a thousand mile stare. He noticed that her hand was up to her cheek. "W-Weiss?" He called hesitantly, yet she kept on wandering about. He turned to the girls who were getting nervous. "Guys, stay here, please."

"Can do," Yang spoke for all of them.

Jaune stepped out slowly as he weaved through several groups of people. "Weiss?"

Still no response.

That was until he put a hand on her shoulder. Immediately, the girl jerked away, with two extremely frightened blue orbs staring at him. He could that she visibly trembling as she continued to hold her cheek. "Weiss…?" He pleaded, "What happened, tell me."

She spoke no words as her gaze fell to her feet. "You alright?"

No comments as she continued to tremble. He reached towards her arm causing her to jump away. _Okay, don't do that again._ He realized. "Something happened?"

She nodded hesitantly.

"What happened?"

Still no comment. Yet he could almost certainly guess what happened. He saw that look. He felt that empty feeling that he could see in her through her glazed over eyes.

"Was it Neptune?" He watched as shrank away as if the very mention of the name struck her. He knew all too well what happened. "You want to hang with us," The girl gave a slight nod as he gently led the saddened snowflake over to the rest of his group. He gently entwined his hand with her own guiding her over to the group.

"Guys." He spoke about, hoping that everyone wouldn't mind the newcomer, "This is Weiss." He smiled as he looked at the girl, "A very dear friend of mine."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Yang looked out of the window. It was rather an unexpected, but ultimately, fun day. Though with Weiss showing up, it was weird.

Now she was slurping on her milkshake happily. Nothing was better than a strawberry milkshake to end the fair. She could easily call it one of the better fairs.

Now her and her family were heading home to kick their feet up. She looked over beside her in the back of the car to see Jaune staring at his feet thinking. The look in his eyes told her that something was on his mind. _He got what he wanted, right? They set Neptune straight, Jaune got to spend time with his girl._ Which, she wouldn't lie, made her smile to see the happiness in him.

When they arrived home, as was customary, Jaune and Yang headed upstairs while her parents stayed downstairs.

Jaune kicked his shoes off in his room as he plopped himself down in his desk chair while Yang kicked her feet up on his bed, scrolling through the news feed on her phone. Silenced ruled over the room while Yang minded her own business.

That was until he finally spoke up.

"She was hit…" He muttered as he tapped his chin in thought.

Yang blinked. _Did he really just say that?_ She lowered her phone slowly looking up at him, giving him a concerned look, "I'm sorry…. What?" She could see a dangerous fire behind ocean blue eyes.

"I'm positive. Neptune hit her." He said lowly as he locked eyes with the blonde.

Yang sat up, frown slowly forming, "How do you know?"

He inhaled sharply. "Did she seem off to you?" He asked back.

Now that she thought about it… something seemed off with the new girl, "Yeah… but, I mean I barely know her. She was quiet and really jumpy though…"

"Especially when someone called her name…?" Jaune filled in the gap causing Yang to nod, slowly closing her mouth. "She had that thousand mile stare half the time, and when she wasn't, she was on edge. The fact she was holding her cheeking was more than enough proof."

She was about to interrupt when he continued on, "The fact that you punched Neptune in the gut, something I appreciate, but him seeing me with her…" He closed his eyes as he shook his head. His shoulders sagged as if the world came crashing down. "He wasn't lying… How could I have been so fucking stupid…." He murmured to himself.

"Listen to me, Jaune." Causing him to open his eyes and he could see Yang's get shit down look. A face that just dared for someone or something to get in her way. "We're going to help her… and I mean that. All of us are going to help her."

"You mean the others know?"

Yang didn't respond as she held her phone in her hand quickly texting away. Within a moment she looked up, "They do now."

"YANG!" Jaune stood angrily.

Yang smirked as she laid back in his bed. "Listen, she's your friend, right?"

He didn't even hesitate, "Of course."

She shrugged, "Then she's our friend too. As much as I wouldn't let that dipshit Neptune beat your ass, I'm not going to let him beat Weiss." She said as she jumped to her feet, "We need to tell my mom."

" .Yang." He reached out grabbing her hand. "Please. Please. Don't…."

The blonde girl froze to his urgency as she turned to face him with a raised eyebrow. "Listen… I don't want to start rumors about her." He pleaded desperately. "Weiss doesn't need that right now."

She flicked him in the forehead, "You were in the similar spot."

"And look at what a legal mess I caused! I don't want to cause another mess for your family." He blurted out frantically as he dropped to his knees as he pleaded for mercy. "God… I just ruined your family, I don't want to bring her down too."

Lilac eyes studied him intently. _He is sincere about it._ She thought to herself as she weighed her options before giving up. "Alright…. Fine." She relented. "But the others get involved."

Jaune nodded "Yeah yeah, sure. Anything. Just don't tell your mom." He agreed as he stood up, wiping his brow.

"We'll help her; you have my word. But I'm going to bed." Yang shrugged. She stopped in the threshold turning to face Jaune. "Have a goodnight, Jaune." She said warmly.

His smile returned with her warmth. "You too, Yang."

Yet he couldn't help but shake the feeling that he set something in motion.

* * *

It was the middle of the night when lilac eyes opened up to the pitch black of her room. She hoped that it wasn't too late as she sat up in her bed, pulling off her covers. She tiptoed over to her door, cracking it enough for her to slip through, her eyes at Jaune's door. _No light. Good._

She tiptoed down the stairs to see if there was light. She could see the bright flashes from a t.v. playing in the background. _Check two._ She smiled to herself, yet the feeling of guilt settled in her stomach as she reached the bottom.

She looked in the living room to see her dad passed out on the couch, a blanket over him as he continued to snore slightly. She tiptoed through the living room even though her dad slept like a rock. Her target lied in the next room over, in the kitchen, by the dining table.

"Yang?" Her mother looked up with concern at seeing her daughter up this late. "What are you doing up this late?"

"I could ask you the same thing." She sat down across from her mother as she scanned the table. It wasn't messy compared to last time, instead of folders and folders and packets on packets, just a few binders.

"Getting ready for the next semester. Need to update lesson plans." She flashed her crimson eyes at the stack of books.

"Mhmmm right.. Not legal paperwork that you're trying to hide?" _Woah…. Dial it back_ ; Yang thought to herself as the comment jabbed her mother. She cringed slightly as she picked up a book placed in front of her daughter. _American Civil War History._

"Convinced?" She shot back causing her daughter to nod. "Good. I know what we're doing isn't good and that he _should_ be involved…" The black-haired woman tossed her head back, running her hands through her ample obsidian hair with a sigh, "but we don't even know what we're doing. I don't want to add more on his shoulders. I wanted this to be a home where he shouldn't have to worry about all of that."

Yang could hear the confliction in her mother's voice but decided to the let subject be dropped. Her mother straightened up, "You still didn't answer my question," Her mother hoped to change the subject, not knowing that her daughter had already done so. "Are you sick?" She asked with a look of concern.

She cycled through her head how she approached it. Yet the spotlight scrambled her plans. "Mom, I know you have a lot on your plate." She started causing her mother to lean in. "I don't want to add more on your plate."

"But…?" Raven pushed causing Yang shifted uncomfortably, "Yang, whatever it is, you can tell me. Your mom is a big girl and can handle anything."

Lilac eyes met crimson. She knew her mom and how steadfast her word is. "Promise me you won't talk to anyone about this?

She gave a resolute nod, "Of course."

"It's about a girl named Weiss…" She started, seeing her mom's jaw drop slightly at the revelation.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hey guys! I'm back... sort of. So I got hit real real bad with a sinus infection while falling behind in my classes. So I apologize. However, I saw all of your love and support, and let me tell you. I owe you guys a lot for helping to get me out of a rut. To me, you guys are my family. I can't express how much it means it to me!**

 **So I'm going to keep writing, but my rate of upload is going to be slower as I try to play catch up, I hope you understand.**

 **As for the offers of beta readers, pm me if you're interested. Also... if anyone is willing, I'm looking for coverart. Pm if you're interested!**

 **Next chapter, we start the school year. Let me know what you thought of the chapter. Keep in mind, I'm only human and mistakes were most likely missed, I apologize.**

 **Love you all,**

 **Lordxsauron**


	30. Chapter 30: A New Day, A New Year

**CHAPTER 30: A New Day, A New Year**

 ***BWANG BWANG BWANG BWANG***

With a sigh, two eyes opened up to a still dark window. He, for sure, was not used to getting up this early.

He sat up, stretching his arms as the pops and cracks filling his hearing. Jaune lifted himself out of bed and picked out his clothes for the day and made his way to the bathroom.

Once freshened up, he tossed his night clothes into the hamper and made his way downstairs

There, he found the family, his family, sitting at the table. "Sup." Yang greeted with semi droopy eyes. This was the 'I hate getting up sooo damn early.' Look that Yang warned him about.

"Morning!" Tai practically sang as he flipped some eggs in a pan. How he was so chirpy in the morning was beyond Jaune.

"You're a freak being so happy this early." Raven groaned as she picked up her glass of orange juice and took a sip.

"Oh come on honey! You love it when I'm on coffee."

Yang shook her head when Jaune sat across from her. "It's like this every day, every year…" She sighed.

"Oh, I kind of like it," Jaune admitted. _It's the small things._ He thought to himself as Tai finally arrived with a pan of scrambled eggs, giving everyone a healthy portion. "I don't even need to drink coffee to feel awake when he's like that."

Ah yes. Scrambled eggs, the morning choice of starting off the day well. He normally didn't this much back at home. He wasn't used to eating this much so early in the morning.

That explained why he felt stuffed by the time they were out of the door and driving for Newport School District. As was customary according to Yang, her mom always dropped her off and picked her up afterward.

"Bye Yang." Jaune waved off followed by her mother's

"Don't start any fights." Her mom smirked as if knowing that her daughter settled things more with her fists than her words.

"See ya, Jaune. Love you too, mom…" With that Yang slammed the door of the car, giving a wave as she headed towards the front door.

With that, the two of them headed to West Pine School District. The car was filled with a semi-tense silence until Raven relented.

"What's on your mind?"

"When are you going to let me in. When are you going to tell me what's going on." He accused as he could see her lips turn downward.

"Jaune, we don't even know what's going to happen." Raven sighed. "It's all up in the air."

"That's not right." He muttered to himself as he looked out the window, "I should know what's going on."

"You're right." She agreed, "that's why we're going involve you in every decision."

Wait… He turned to face her, "What?"

She had a look of almost guilt. "It's your life; we aren't the ones who should be handling things for you. If you want to help, who am I to stop you?"

Raven gave a quick smile as she briefly took her eyes off the road. When her gaze returned to the road, it hardened, "if you think you can handle it. I won't sugar coat it; it's going to be rough. A lot of things can come up."

And he was prepared. "I can handle it."

"All of us will handle it." Raven corrected.

And like that the two's relationship was repaired. No more secrets. The two pulled into the high school, Jaune noted how they were the ones there. They parked in the faculty parking lot, Jaune grabbing his own bag. "Sorry, we're here so early." Raven apologized as they walked towards the main office, swiping her badge and holding the door open.

H waved off her concern. "I get it, we have to hide things," Jaune reassured her. "So what time do you think we'll leave?"

Raven tapped her chin as they walked down the empty halls, "Probably around 5:30 or 6, just to be sure." They reached the familiar staircase that led to the basement of the school which oddly enough contained the cafeteria and a few other classrooms.

"Fair enough, what about-"

"Yang? Don't worry bout her, Tai or Summer will get her after practice. We worked it out."

Jaune nodded as they left the cafeteria and headed down towards Raven's classroom. She pulled out her keys, unlocking the door.

The smell of cleaning supplies blasted the two of them. "You think they would air out the room," Raven muttered as she flicked on the lights.

"You can tell they use Pine-sol…" Jaune covered his mouth as he let out a series of coughs. Yet, as he walked in, he didn't mind the smell. No, he felt very comfortable here. He sat at the desk closest to the teacher's desk as Raven unceremoniously dropped her bag on top of her desk.

Jaune pulled out his binder, taking a fresh look at his schedule.

Homeroom with Mrs. Branwen. He bet that she had something to do with that.

Algebra II- Mr. Bowing

English II- Mrs. Yewing

Lunch

U.S. Civil War History- Mrs. Branwen

Band with Mr. Branwen

"Happy with your schedule?" Jaune looked up to see Raven who kicked her feet up on the desk.

He couldn't help but to let out a small laugh, "I assume you had something to do with homeroom?" She peeped one red eye open with a slight smirk. "I'll take that as a yes." He decided to switch gears, "So anything special planned for Civil War?"

She raised an eyebrow, "Special?"

"Well yeah… I remember last year you tore out a bunch of pages from textbook…" Jaune remembered fondly.

Raven let out an amused snort, "Oh yeah… I remember that…" Her tone turned serious, "You know Civil War is a higher level history class, right?"

Jaune nodded, "I know, I've always been interested in the Civil War, you know, tactics, politics, society, and all that stuff."

Raven chuckled, "You know if Yang or Tai were here, they would hound you for being a nerd."

"History buff." Jaune corrected with his chin up in the air, giving a sense of refinement and pose.

"You'll be a good historian one day." Raven laughed as she put her feet down on the floor and rummaged through her bag, pulling out three large binders. However, Jaune could see her tense up. "Jaune… I feel like I don't need to have this conversation…" She trailed off.

"But…" He egged on.

"You know I can't give you any-"

"Any special treatment." He finished her sentence. "Trust me, I know. I promise you won't have to worry about it." With that, he could see her smile return.

* * *

Yep, back to the old grind. Just like how he remembered, the national anthem, pledge of allegiance, and announcements. Incredibly predictable. Jaune sat back down in his desk as he looked around homeroom. It was a mixed room, it had people he did recognize such as Coco and Fox yet some new people he didn't know.

He still hadn't seen Weiss at all. Sure he kept in touch with her the past couple days, but it wasn't anything serious. He didn't address the big elephant in the room. How could he? How could anyone even remotely approach that subject? He did what he felt what was right, but not enough. He told her, "I'm here for you." Laughable.

BWRANG **BWRANG BWRANG.**

He immediately straightened up, stirred out of his own thoughts. Just as he remembered from the beginning of the last room, he heard the door slam with a forceful swoosh! He had to hide his own smile with his hand as Raven…. Ermm… Mrs. Branwen stood tall in front of the middle class, towering over the students.

If he didn't know her, he would say that she looked like a wolf among sheep. The few students in the back of the room, who made the unwise decision of staying out of their desks and kept on talking as if nothing happened were about to have a rude awakening. Her crimson eyes locked onto the small group. "You four!" She barked. "Sit the hell down and zip it!"

They immediately jumped off the counter. "Next time I see your butts on my counter, I'll make sure you're scrubbing the floor with toothbrushes! Am I clear?" The boys immediately nodded as they slinked back into their desks, one boy in particular, a boy with slicked back silver hair sat in front of Jaune. "Good." Mrs. Branwen smirked, Jaune almost busted out laughter but managed to clamp down on the urge. Anytime she got fiery, it was almost like her waist long wild mane of hair spiked up like feathers of a bird. Unfortunately, the students didn't know it was just a show.

"Now then…." Mrs. Branwen stood tall, crossing her arms along her professional black collared long sleeve shirt. "This is my room. You all have the privilege to be in my homeroom. Count yourself lucky if you are going to use it productively. Those of you who think you can goof and distract others." She gave a sinister smirk. "This is going to be a long year."

The smirk faded slowly. "I don't want to hear any talking unless its something about school. Now... You might think that you can whisper, but you little chimps make it so clearly obvious that a blind can spot a mile away. If I catch you talking, God help you. Now get to it." And just like that, she marched down the center aisle to the tune of her own boots and sat behind her desk, kicking her feet up and opening up her book.

With that, Jaune was about to pull out his music notebook until he heard the silver-haired boy, "Stuck up old cunt, no one would ever want to fuck that hag."

Jaune twitches his eyebrow. No… he didn't just say that. "What's your problem?" He hissed in a hushed. He then realized who he just retorted. Mercury Black, quarterback for West Pine and cross country runner. He was also known to be the school's nastiest bully.

"What? You got a thing for dried up cunts? You the one making it wet?" This kind of speech left him well… speechless. "You're Jaune, right." He accused

And for whatever god damn reason he nodded. "Wow man, if you're pegging a teacher, call me impressed, though I'm not really impressed by her. You must be desperate..."

"I am not!" He blurred out causing everyone to turn to look at him as he turned bright red with anger.

"Ahhhh Mercury Black." Raven seemed to materialize out of nowhere. She looked down with a rather annoyed look. "My colleagues told me about you. Ozpin said you were notorious for causing problems. Other teachers might allow your behavior go unpunished, but I am not one of them. So listen up." She leaned on the desk like a wolf about ready to tear into its prey. "You can go to the office now while I call your father."

"But!" The cool, laid-back kid started to protest only to be shut down.

"I wonder what your father would say when he finds out that you were benched from the team for disciplinary action."

"You can't!"

She smirked, "I can't? Clearly, you don't know me. I will, and let me tell you, I will enjoy every moment of it. Now get going Mr. Black."

Mercury glared at the teacher before staring Jaune down with an ice-cold stare that would freeze his own blood as he mouthed: 'You're dead.' With that, Mercury grabbed his bag and walked out of the room.

As promised, Jaune watched as Raven sat down by her desk and dialed the phone to the office, "Hey Glynda. I'm sending Mercury Black to see Ozpin."

…

"Yep…. mhmm…. ask Ozpin to bench him, please."

…

"Mhmm… thank you." With that, she hung up the phone. The students returned back to their own matters as Jaune gave a subtle glance over to Raven who must have caught it as she gave a subtle smile.

* * *

Jaune took his seat at lunch as he set down with his tray. He liked his back against the wall; it gave him a sense of protection as he scanned the lunchroom for Cardin and Russell. Yet they were nowhere to be found. He merely shrugged as he picked up his piece of pizza and took a bite.

He didn't mind eating alone, it was sometimes good to eat alone. Yet he spewed his food out when he heard "Hello Jaune."

"Rurg! WIZ!" He blurred out. Incomprehensible with a mouth full of food.

"You mind if I sit here?" She asked which she shook her head. He watched as oddly enough, she sat down beside him, sending little tendrils of anxiety throughout his body. _Just friends. Just friends._ He reminded himself as he watched her sit down beside him.

She pulled out a napkin and draped it over her lap with such refinement. He watched her take a spoon and dip it into her soup. She brought it up to her mouth where gently blew on it to cool it for be partaking in the vegetable soup. Why he was so fascinated with this, he had no idea. He quickly went back to his own food, trying to ignore the awkward silence as he continued to eat his own meal.

Just what the hell could he say? _Did Neptune beat you? Please break up with him? Be my girlfriend?_ Or does he play the 'oh everything is fine and dandy card?' Yeah, of course, he checked up on Weiss, but he let her dictate the conversation. Though, eventually, the elephant in the room had to be pointed out. "How are classes?" Weiss finally broke the silence as she took another spoonful of soup.

Thank you, God. Thank you. "Not to bad. Had Geometry with Mr. Lyon. Pretty sure I'm going to fail."

She gave a disapproving look. "Arc, I won't _allow_ you to fail. You're going to be a top-tier student."

He snorted at the idea. "Well with you helping, I'm sure I'll be the _best_ student," which was met with a dignified nod. "Then there was homeroom…" He paused at the thought.

"What about homeroom?" She asked, "Who do you have?"

He looked around to make sure he was out of earshot from nonband students. "Raven."

"Lucky. I have Oobleck." She took another spoonful of soup.

Jaune shrugged, "Ehh… it can't be too bad."

Weiss raised her eyebrow with an exhausted look in her eyes. "Oh, it is. When you're trying to read, and he is practically dashing around the room? It's pretty exhausting just watching him. Anyway, I'm sorry."

He continued with a chuckle, "Yeah… well, she pulled the whole badass routine which got the message out towards everyone…"

"But…?"

"Mercury Black," Jaune revealed to the horror of Weiss. "He was saying a lot of god-awful things about her…. And I might have said some things to him…. And Raven heard."

Weiss leaned in slightly, pushing her soup aside, intertwining her fingers in anticipation. "He was sent to the office… benched from the football game, and got a phone call home."

"Jaune…." He felt a touch on his hand causing his heart to skip a beat. "You heard the rumors. You know his reputation. Why couldn't you just let it slide?"

 _Oh…. I don't know…. The fact that she's been the closest thing to a mother I ever had? The fact she saved my life._ Yet he had to bite his tongue. "It's wasn't right." He finally responded. It was such a small yet truthful statement. Three words that echoed throughout Jaune's entire life.

"Well…" He felt a reassuring squeeze on his hand. His eyes traveled up to be met with Weiss; blue ocean met blue ocean. "I'll be by your side no matter what he does." He could hear the heart, the true sincerity of that statement, yet he couldn't.

Pangs of guilt, of his own hypocrisy, lurched out of the dark recesses of his mind, he tried to brush them aside. "I should have done the same." He pulled away from Weiss' touch, retreating from not only her outright kindness but retreating from his own hypocrisy. "I shouldn't have cut ties with you from the beginning. I shouldn't have let _him_ do that. I should have warned you. I should have prevented him from taking you."

It was Weiss' turn to draw back. "I don't want to talk about it."

That only irritated him more to the point where he asked something he shouldn't have. "When are you going to break up with him? Hell, you should call the police."

His gentle snowflake immediately bristled with ice sickles. "I said. I don't want to talk about it."

And with that, the topic, as well as the conversation was closed as the two silently and awkwardly ate their lunch together.

* * *

It just got even more awkward as Jaune just found out that they were in Civil War History together. The two kept to themselves until Jaune stopped, "Weiss…. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

She stopped, turning around to face him, still bristling like an ice storm. "You're right; you shouldn't have. I appreciate it, but I can take care of myself."

With that, Jaune nodded meekly and walked into the classroom. Shockingly enough, Weiss sat beside him towards the back of the room. The fact she was beside reassured him a little more. Then he showed up again. Apparently Mercury Black was in Civil War History as well. His gray eyes locked onto Jaune as he a sinister smirk. "Who would have thought? Teacher's bitch is in here too?"

Jaune could feel his eye twitch slightly at the potshot. "Mercury, just sit down." Weiss shot back with a rather annoyed look.

"Wow Jaune, boning the teacher and her? Threesomes or nah?" Mercury chuckled

Jaune would have defended himself that was until he saw Raven coming into the room. "Mr. Black, sit your ass down. Another peep and I'll send you right back to the office." He turned around to see a Mrs. Branwen tower over him as if he were a worm. She looked down at the desk, tapping her foot expectantly.

The boy finally complied as his cocky arrogant self slowly deflated. Jaune shot a smile to Weiss who returned it in kind. A victory, a small, but a victory nonetheless. Yet the celebration was cut rather short with start of class.

"Alright." Raven reach for a stack of papers on her stool. "Listen up. You are currently in U.S. Civil War History." She started as she passed out the papers down the rows. "This class will teach something valuable things. It will teach you how to read and analyze primary sources properly and to apply that knowledge in a way that allows you to synthesize a passable fifteen-page term paper that will discuss how and why the war started, the important leaders, generals, and all of that other stuff."

She moved back towards front of the room, sitting on her wooden stool. "This class will teach how the Civil War never really fixed any of the nation's problems. It fixed one and caused more. History is a web, if something shakes one small section of the web, it is amplified and felt throughout the entirety of the web. This isn't just a history class, this is a class that will test your ability to examine a short time period in history and its impact throughout history. We clear?"

Everyone simply nodded, though Jaune could see Weiss' hand raise. "Weiss, go ahead."

"I'm sorry, but we're getting graded on a simulation? What simulation?" She asked as she put down the syllabus.

Raven stone cold face cracked a smile. "Yeah, we're going to have a lot of fun."

* * *

Yeah. Civil War was going to be his favorite class. That was easy to tell. "A simulation though? How? How can we even do that?" Weiss questioned as the two headed down the hallway towards the bandroom.

"I'm sure she figured it out, I'm excited."

"Of course you are, you're a guy." She snorted.

He shot her a quizzical look as they reached the bandroom. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You like military stuff."

Jaune shrugged, "Not just that, I like the thinking, the strategy behind it. To me, that's the coolest. Just imagine, I'm the Union commander, and you're the Confederate commander."

"I'd rather us be on the same side." Weiss chuckled as they walked into band room, "I'm afraid I'm not one for strategy."

He brushed off that comment. "I'm sure you'd do just fine." He could see Qrow looking directly at him, and he did not look too happy.

"Hey, Jaune!" The blonde froze as he turned to face the band director. "Principal Ozpin wants to speak with you." His mind went static. _Why? Wasi t about Mercury? It has to be. That's what it has to be about._

* * *

 _Mercury Black... I shouldn't have said anything to him, I should have let it slide. It would have saved myself so much grief. It would have saved Weiss so much grief. Yet how could I let it slide? I don't take slander and I won't tolerate slander of those I care about. I never have, I never will._

* * *

 **A/N**

Hey **guys! I'm back with another chapter.**

 **So please, I need all of your guys' help. Tell me what you think, reviews help me to determine where I'm at with you guys. Your reviews help me to keep going and inspire me to keep writing.**

 **Also, I need your opinion: Would you guys be interested in a few chapters focused say on Yang and Ruby and their school days? Let me know…**

 **Also… I wonder what Ozpin need to talk to Jaune about? Dun** Dunnn **Duuuunnnnnnnn. Let me know what you guys think! So please guys, help me out! Tell me what you guys think!**

 **Reviews:**

 **Jiore: Yeah….. I won't lie it was pretty difficult to write.** Well **I won't say yes or no, I'll say not to worry about it now.**

 **DragonManMax: Hey man it's the thought that counts, it's always appreciated. As for Weiss and Neptune, I was aiming for the unexpected. I wanted to hint at it, and I couldn't really delve into that relationship that much because of Jaune's decision to cut ties with Weiss (due to Neptune) So this was more shock factor/wake up call to Jaune that his friend is in a really shitty situation.**


	31. Chapter 31: I Put You in My Past

CH31: I Put You in My Past

* * *

 **Please Read A/N at the bottom**

 **Also... if you want to know the song to the intro: Music Man's- Paris**

* * *

 _You know… your mom made me listen to this song a long time ago… It's funny, really. I heard Magic Man's_ _Paris_ , _and thought it eh. But to be honest, past senior year? Yeah, I realized how deep that song was._

 _One line echoed when I look back. Something that we can all relate, something we can all understand._

 _I think it went something like…_

 _No, I'm not ready to lose everything I know, I'm letting go of_

 _Paris, you know I held on too much_

 _I left you at the station, I put you in my past_

* * *

"Mr. Arc." Jaune watched as the principal stood up, offering him a seat, "Please, have a seat." Jaune stepped in the quaint office with a simple oak desk in the middle of the room, one leather chair behind with two cushioned chairs on the other side. Two bookcases lined each side of the wall supporting hanging plants on the sides.

If he found a little spot of tranquility, it would probably be here. He took a seat as Ozpin moved over to a small side table that had a coffee pot, "Can I offer you a drink, Coffee? Tea, perhaps?" The man said as he filled his mug with the steaming cocoa colored drink.

Jaune waved his hand, "No thank you, sir." He said as he watched the principal dropped two sugar cubes into his coffee. The older man moved behind his desk, taking a seat behind his desk while taking a sip of his coffee. As the cup came down, the tone was set as Ozpin's relaxed demeanor faded.

Jaune watched as he opened the top drawer of his desk, pulling out a large folder and placed it in front of him. The principal opened up the folder, "Mr. Arc, do you know why you are in here?"

He felt a lump in his throat as he answered: "Is it about Mercury?"

Ozpin lips turned upward slightly, "No, Mr. Arc. Despite Mr. Black's protests, I've read the report and am more inclined to believe your side of the story."

 _What story?_ Jaune wondered to himself. "No, I'm afraid we have more urgent matters."

The principal opened the folder, pushed a photo to him. Jaune pulled the photo up to him. "Is your father abusive?" Jaune blinked as two lost blue eyes fell upon a photo from a security camera, his father stepping closer as Jaune could see him clutching his chest.

 _Panic…_

 _Panic…_

His heart started to literally ache at seeing the photo.

The sheer look of panic in his eyes. "Mr. Arc, I need you tell me the whole truth. It'll help everyone involved." He heard Ozpin's voice as he stared at the picture. "Were you ever abused?"

He held his breath. _It isn't black and white._ He figured that whatever he said right now would shape a great many things down the road. One misstep could lead lives forever changed. "I…" He searched for the words, "... well… it would depend."

Jaune put the paper down to see Ozpin watching him intently, his hand hovering over the notepad. "Such as what?"

 _Why did he have to answer these questions? Why couldn't these things remain buried?_ "Well… my father… has an anger problem."

Blue eyes widened immediately as Ozpin wrote on the notepad. What he wrote, he couldn't tell, but it couldn't have been good. "Has he ever hit you or anyone in your family?"

…

…

"Jaune? Has he ever hit you?"

Jaune gritted his teeth in the spotlight. As much as he wanted to condemn his father, he was obligated to tell the truth. "Only when he was drunk." Jaune stared Ozpin in the eye. "He was…." He couldn't believe he was saying this, "... is a good man. Yeah, he has an anger problem and a drinking problem, but when he's sober, he's a good man."

Ozpin put his pen down and opted for the mug and took a sip. After placing the cup back on his desk, he intertwined his fingers on his lap. "You know he can't hurt right now. You don't need to live in fear anymore…"

Jaune leaned on the desk, staring the principal right in the eye daring him to challenge him. "I am telling the whole truth."

Ozpin nodded understandingly before jotting a few more things down.

"Alright, fair enough, I believe you, Mr. Arc. However, there is a peculiar issue that I would like to discuss."

Ozpin slid two more photos towards Jaune. "What exactly is your relationship with Mrs. Branwen."

 _Fuck._

 _Fuck._

 _FUCK!_

' _I won't sugar coat it, a lot of stuff will be brought up.'_ He remembered her saying. "She's my teacher." He blurted out before even bothering to look at the photos.

"Those pictures reveal a relationship more complex." Ozpin countered with a raised eyebrow causing the boy to look down at the photos. The first one, he remembered clearly. It was the first night that he reached out to her, the night that changed everything. It was of her cleaning out his leg. "Did she hurt you?" He asked.

"Of course not!" Jaune brows furrowed as he tried to stomach his bitterness.

Ozpin raised an eyebrow gesturing to the other photo. "Did she make any kind of sexual advances towards you?" He referred to the other photo. The one that he didn't matter. Where she was carrying him… When did she carry him? What caused that?

Jaune wanted to pick his chair up and throw it across the room yet what would that accomplish? He inhaled sharply, settling his nerves as he could feel something dark creep into his voice. " _She_ saved me. No. We never had sex. We never had any romantic feelings for each other. She's practically like my mom-"

"Mr. Arc, you are perfectly safe here, whatever you say here, she won't hear." Ozpin pushed causing the boy to get only angrier.

"I swear. I never even had the thought! They took me in! They looked after me!" Jaune protested, his fingers dug into the chair. "I mean her daughter is my _best_ friend!"

"It's normal to have feelings for your kidnappers." Ozpin thought out loud. "Stockholm Syndrome. You identify with your captors."

" _My what?!"_ Jaune could feel his voice rise in anger. He was getting pushed hard now. "They didn't _kidnap me!"_

Ozpin leaned in on the desk. "Then explain those photos Mr. Arc. You two share a very… unusual… relationship. I'm asking these questions to clear the air for you two. Yet, I can't do that if you hide something."

Jaune thought a moment, realizing that he was not going to get off of it, relented. "My birthday is when everything just fell apart…"

* * *

Yang enjoyed the first day of school. Who wouldn't? An easy day, probably the only easy day that they would have in a long, long time. Going over syllabi? Pretty dang easy in her opinion. It didn't help that her last class was homeroom with Pyrrha and Blake. Things could get a little rowdy, and she was just fine with that.

The teacher pretty much didn't care as long as the room wasn't burning down. However, her lilac eyes kept an eye in the corner of the room with a certain blue-haired boy and his rather stunning sand blonde friend, Sun Wukong who were carrying on the entire time.

"Class!" the teacher rose from his desk. "Class. I have an announcement!"

Yang looked up from her phone, "Wonder what this is going to be about…"

Blake sighed as she put down her book. "I don't know… but I'd like to finish this book."

"Ninjas of love?" Pyrrha asked from behind the raven-haired girl.

"N-n-nooo!" Blake turned around shooting the girl an incredulous look. "Really…? You bring that up now?" She hissed.

The blonde brushed her friend's concern off. "Blake, everyone knows you're into smut." Yang said with a grin that reached ear to ear.

"I. Hate. Both. Of. You.

"I'm offended!" Pyrrha gasped.

"For like a day." Yang poked they bookworm's side only to be swatted away.

However, they were all distracted by what came next. A familiar girl in a red hood, hands clasped in front of her as her silver stared at the ground. "What's Ruby doing here?" Pyrrha asked

"Guys, this is Ruby Rose, and she's being moved up a grade. I expect you to treat with her respect that she deserves."

"So none?" Neptune chimed in with a smug smile causing the entire classroom to burst in laughter except for three girls in their own little group. Yang only gritted her teeth, her knuckles popping as she balled her hand into a fist as she watched her cousin visibly shirk away from the laughter.

"Alright, alright, class settle down." The teacher tried to rein in the class but was failing horribly.

It was getting to be enough for Yang, she shot daggers at Neptune, causing him to recoil. Once the blue menace was quelled, Yang waved a handover, "Hey, Rubes over here."

Her silver eyes immediately shined with a renewed energy as she found a seat behind Yang and beside Pyrrha. "Sorry, Ruby, We didn't expect you to join us…" Pyrrha said as she removed her books from the desk.

Ruby plopped down in the desk giving a cute innocent shrug, "Me neither, apparently my grades were high enough to warrant me to bump up." Yet there was something more to the story.

"Huh... I would have thought that Summer or Qrow would have said something about it..." Yang thought out loud causing Ruby to shrink into her desk.

"They wanted too…. I just didn't want anyone to know…" Her voice weighed down with guilt as she looked at the desk, not able to look into Yang's confused eyes.

"What? Why not?" Blake cocked an eyebrow.

The redheaded girl shrugged, "Ehh… I don't know. I just feel like I'm leaving all of my friends behind back at middle school."

"But you're in the sophomore class…" Blake still didn't follow

Ruby let out an awkward chortle as she twirled her thumbs. "I got perfect scores on the PSSA's and REACH tests."

Yang let out a whistle, "Rubes, ya didn't tell me?" Yang was honestly more stunned than hurt. Yeah, her cousin didn't tell her about this rather important event, but near scores.

"That's impressive." Blake gave a thumbs up.

"Beyond impressive." Yang agreed as she reached over the desk to hug her sister.

"INCEST LESBOS!" Neptune called out causing the entire class to burst into laughter

Yang immediately let go of Ruby, not of shame, out of pure anger. "Yang…. Please don't." She heard her cousin call out causing her to not go over to Neptune beat his face into bloody pulp.

"Neptune… do you want me to beat your face in _again?_ " Yang stood her ground popping her knuckles causing the blue-haired boy to reconsider his options.

"Dude…." His sandy-blonde friend placed a hand on his red vest. "Where's your chill?"

Neptune flashed his signature smug, pearly white smile, "I'm plenty chill." He said as he kicked his feet up on the desk.

Satisfied that the situation had simmered Yang went back to her desk. "I can't stand people like him." Pyrrha sighed, her eyes lingering over to that group. Her emerald eyes shifted over to the younger girl. "Don't fret, we'll be your friends."

Ruby sat up with the promise, something that Yang was so proud of her best friend. Pyrrha really did have a heart of gold. "Me too." Blake stated resolutely, "We won't let that jackass mess with you." Both Rose and Xiao-Long smiled at the raven-haired girl. And Blake? Well, she would shy away from the compliment, but she also had a heart of gold.

"Yeah, it's a no-brainer." Yang gave a playful punch. She could see the girl's smile grow until it faltered, then fade away altogether. "What's up?"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Ruby apologized, avoiding her gaze. "I just didn't want you to think I'm special or anything. I don't want to be treated differently."

Yang got it, it made sense. Hell, she was skipping two grades because keeping her in the middle school would be holding her back. Her getting boosted up to her grade, a lot of people would treat her differently. "Don't worry about that, nothing will change. I promise." Yang apologized.

"You have my word as well." Pyrrha.

"Mine too." Blake agreed.

* * *

The bus had already let out by the time Ozpin finished with him. Of course, he was pulled aside to ruin band, his second favorite class. God, he felt like he just came out of an interrogation. To be honest, he told the truth, yet it still didn't feel right at all.

 _Give Mrs. Branwen my regards._ Something just felt off about that. About all of it, he thought as he walked down the hallway. Upon reaching the bandroom, he, of course, found it empty except for Mr. Branwen at his podium. He looked up from his sheet music with a semi-concerned look. "Sorry I missed band."

"Ehhhh.. Don't worry about it. Just syllabus stuff." He said as he handed Jaune a copy.

The blonde boy took it, giving a brief scan. "So what did he want?"

"Who wanted what?" Raven appeared with her bag, clearly looking like she went through a wringer.

That when he felt guilty about what he was going to tell them. "I… well… Ozpin called me into his office."

The woman didn't even bat an eye as she sat down in one of the chairs in the bandroom, across from her brother, looking up at Jaune. "Oh, this has got to be good." She crossed her arms.

"I… well… he… um asked things."

Qrow leaned forward on his stool, resting his arms on the podium, "Such as? He asked.

"Well… um… he wanted to know if my parents ever…"

"You don't need to finish that." Raven interrupted more so for his sake as she gave an angry look at her brother. A look that almost screamed _That fucking bastard._

Yet Jaune needed to them. Not only because he felt obligated, but because it would help them with the case, or preparing a case. "I told him that my father only…. 'Acted out' when he was drunk." Jaune sighed taking a seat, feeling the siblings' eyes on him.

"You mean abused?" Raven huffed, her eye twitching in anger causing Jaune to pause.

It was her brother that intervened in a more calm tone. "Rae, not now." He called for restraint.

She inhaled sharply, shaking her head disapprovingly. "He wanted to know… if you." Jaune gestured to Raven with a nod. "Well…. Uh…. if you kidnapped me…. Hurt me… or… uh…. Ever made uh… ya know… certain….. Uh. advances….." His voice trailed off.

"THAT BASTARD! HOW DARE-" Raven stood up, grabbing her chair and tossing it across the room. It landed with a loud ***CRASH!*** As her stormed out of the band room and towards the atrium without saying a word leaving a rather stunned Qrow and Jaune.

Such raw, unfiltered anger… it was something that he hadn't seen since… that night with his father… the night where he saw… _No. stop._ _You're in the past. I put you in my past._ That demon was something not to be unlocked from its cage. No. "Sorry…" Jaune apologized after an excruciatingly long minute had passed.

"You?" Qrow let depreciating chuckle. "You shouldn't be sorry in the least bit, it should be her." He nodded towards the atrium.

Jaune chewed that over. _Why… why should she even react like that?_ "Um… if you don't mind me asking…"

"What caused her to flip shit?" Qrow asked earning a nod. He picked up a bottle of water, uncapping it and taking a quick gulp as if trying to delay the inevitable. "Well… I don't know if you know this or not, but my sister, she has an anger problem." Qrow's eyes drifted over to the chair that was tossed across the room. "Back when we were kids," Qrow paused a moment.

…

"Well… let's just say, she _really_ doesn't like to be accused of something she didn't do. Especially when it comes to the stuff Ozpin was asking about… it hits real hard at home for her. Makes her remember stuff that shouldn't be remembered. You know how that goes."

Too bad Jaune completely understood. He understood more than most.

* * *

Yeah… that car ride? It was awkward, extremely awkward as the two sat in silence. _I fucked up so bad._ Raven lamented as she kept her eyes on the road. _God. Damn. It._

" _What do you think that's going to accomplish?"_ She remembered her brother telling her. " _Do you think he needs to see you like that? After going through the ringer with Ozpin?"_

" _It's so much bullshit. That man automatically assumes that I… It's so fucked up! He asked a kid, Qrow, A. Kid! If I ever abused him! What the hell, that's beyond fucked up. HE knows I would never."_

 _Qrow facepalmed, "Yeah? What do you expect? It's a fucked up world, sis! You and I know that far better than anyone else. We don't have the luxury of getting the benefit of the doubt. He's just doing his job and making sure that Jaune is in safe hands until this is all sorted."_

 _The wounded Raven wanted to smash something. How could he not get it? "Don't you see! Even if it is sorted out, there is a damn good chance we get blacklisted! Even for doing the right thing. The system is so incredibly broken. If that's what happens, then fine, but I won't have my name slandered like that…. I don't want to be remembered… for… for…" She felt herself trembling in anger, in frustration, in helplessness, until Qrow wrapped an around her shoulder pulling her in. She rested her head on his shoulder, feeling the warmth, the protection from her brother. God had the positions switched._

" _You won't be, I promise."_

That phrase echoed in her mind as she kept driving. "I'm sorry." She heard Jaune apologize.

 _Sorry? Sorry?_ She blinked trying to sort through her mind. "If I hadn't entered into your life… You would have been accused of… all that kind of stuff."

She chewed it over, trying to think of a way of trying to tackle this… well, it never failed her before going headlong. "No. Jaune, you have nothing to be sorry for. I was the one that acted like a child. I should be the one apologizing to you. I thought I'd be more prepared, but I supposed I wasn't."

And like the tension was cut in the car. It felt like it was slowly being washed away, yet that undercurrent was always going to be there. Her anger. It was something that scared her. Especially now. It was one of the reasons why she never drank. The combination of two were incredibly dangerous and she was not willing to let that demon out of its cage. "I wish you didn't see that." She finally admitted with a sigh. "I don't want you ever think that I would ever hurt you."

"We aren't perfect, we all have flaws," Jaune reassured her. "I'll pretend it never happened."

She smiled at the naive sentiment. That might be true, he may forget it, or he may not hold it against her, but she would hold it against herself. She promised that it would never get out like that again.

"Thank you." She said as she pulled up to the driveway. "I'm hungry though. I heard Tai made sweet and sour chicken."

"You know… it isn't very sweet or sour." Jaune noted.

"Yeah, he's a pretty shitty cook." Raven chuckled.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Well...**

 **I did some thinking taking all the input from all of you. I realized that a great majority of you care about the story and well... I honestly don't have words to express the emotions as I write this A/N. Gratitude? Honored? Touched? these are only scratching the surface of what I'm trying to explain.**

 **I was in a dark place when I started to write this story about a year ago (I think? My ability to remember things is very shitty lol) Anyway, I knew I wanted to write a story that connected some very serious social issues, stigmas, as well life itself. Yes, some people have peachy lives, good for them. Some have absolutely horrible lives, God help them. The rest of us fall on a line somewhere between the two. However, nothing in this world is truly horrible or perfect. There will always something to challenge that. You know, Ying and Yang... (lol... oops time to be serious again).**

 **Anyway, It was vent while trying to make someone's life, somewhere, at some point, touched. To let them know that there is hope, somewhere down the line, eventually. Yet, the story is a cautionary tale for yourself or the one's around. However, I also wanted to write a story in a real-world setting, and that's how Forlorn was born. I was sitting in a group call with Shaded, Archer, and Secret and the idea just popped into my head out of nowhere.**

 **So I wrote and I wrote. I sent them the very first intro of the first chapter and they said do it. Finish it. Now Forlorn is my second (if not most popular fic) and ya know what? I don't regret writing.**

 **So what's the point? Well I'll be blunt. The point is you. You guys faved, followed, reviewed, and it only kept me going. So what now? Where is Forlorn. After a lot of thinking, going through the pms and reviews, I've decided to keep at it, and I have only you all thank you for.**

 **So here's the deal to the guest and the haters. Guess what? I frankly don't care. I legit don't care. If you don't like the story, legit walk away. The door is right there. Unfollow, it isn't hard. You think you are a tough guy? A critic? A badass on the internet? You are nothing but a lonely keyboard warrior trying to challenge not only me but a substantial following. What do you get out of it being a so-called "guest." Trust me, I know your kind and God help you, I pity you. I truly do. I forgive you for all of your reviews, but I am so sorry you need to hide behind the internet to attack me. Shows real character.**

 **So all guest reviews will remain up for everyone to see what kind of person you truly are. I won't delete any. Don't mistake when I say that no longer will opinion matter to me. No longer will take baseless accusations. I will no longer consider any criticism that remotely rude. So have at it.**

 **I will take criticism if it is truly polite, sincere, and constructive. Saying "this sucks" Ten dollars you didn't read it, you're just saying that, or you're too stupid to make a cohesive argument. Even if you did, I don't care.**

 **As of now, all negative feedback is completely invalid no matter validity. It's time for some readers to realize that Fanfiction is a hobby, a way to escape, to relax, and a way to express creativity. Why be rude over it? Beyond me. Truly beyond me.**

 **So I have a huge thank you list in no particular order**

 **titen anwolf, GrimmAbyss, deadisdead1234, Nightengale4698, Felan Lupus, Pxnk, SecretlyEvil, BlacSparrow, A Random Commie (Guest), Anonymous (Guest), Heart Sandwich, Poetic Sting, TMPD, Big Bad Beowolf, King Kaiji VI, BigN1374, SMHo217, Council of chaos, nexus frost light, izzycat6, DragonManMax (HUG), Altnation1, Guest (YARN), Deco.64, Frnkflo228, Tronmaster 5704, Darren Grey, Sarinman, Neopolitan Waifu, Morgoth II, thepsychoking, Random O' Panda**

 **And a very special shout out to Killkill123100 for making me stick with it.**

 **This little group will forever be known as Sauron's Little Band xD but for real,**

 **Thank you all for only encouraging me, reaching out in some way, making me see how much you all love the story. I don't know what or how to say it. To all the hater, try and challenge this formidable army. Go for it. I dare you. Cause no matter what, Forlorn will keep going because it isn't just about me. It's about the community, the family that it built. Together, we are strong.**

 **Yours so truly,**

 **Lordxsauron**


	32. Chapter 32: One Simple Idea and Picture

**Chapter 32: One Simple Idea and Picture**

* * *

 **A/N: Song is Sons by Concorde (and no it isn't a screamo or heavy rock song by the lyrics at all...)**

* * *

We are young and we live fast

Always dealing with the past

We are all lost in a crowd

We don't have time to be screwed

Some of us born between the cracks

Never finding the right path

Weighed down with concrete blocks

* * *

 **Friday**

Raven had been planning this for a long time with her daughter. The two had thought this through, yet Raven wanted to do this for a long time.

Yet as life had it and the whole Ozpin fiasco, life decided to intervene, so it was now or ever.

She sat down behind her desk looking at the clock. She had about forty minutes before the day started with her minding the halls and that would be her time to strike. The patterns of the target were already figured out, and her prey had a very predictable morning routine.

The plan was finalized as she ran through it in her mind. Deciding that it was going to work, she leaned back in her chair reaching for her pop tarts. Breaking off a piece, she took a bite as her red eyes drifted over to Jaune who was reading from what she could tell, a book for English. Being subtle was never her strong point, but her daughter, Yang, insisted that it was necessary to go behind her charge's back.

And it made her feel sick. If it were up to her, she would have told Summer, and small policewoman would have handled it. If it were up to her, she'd beat the shit out of this punk that dared to lift a hand against one of her students. Yet that wasn't what Yang wanted. Her daughter was smart, a chip off the old block, the right amount of bravery, conviction, and intelligence. Though Yang temper got ahead of her at times, it was for the right reason, which made her proud.

Her daughter grew up to be everything she wanted to be, though she did inherit her temper which was something that scared her. She would have to pat herself on the shoulder, to think that she was absolutely terrified of being a parent. To think that she was going to be a shitty mom. To think that she was going to be like _them._

 _Nope._ Time to banish the thought. _We don't go down that rabbit hole._

After about forty minutes of trying to prepare herself for the day, she finally stood up. "Behave, now," She said with a smile causing Jaune to give her a thumbs up from his book. _Thank God it's Friday_ , she inhaled the air which had a certain sweet aroma of the weekend as she climbed the stairs.

Upon reaching the top she was greeted with a rather energetic Oobleck, "Ahhh Mrs. Branwen! Lovely morning! Is the football team going team win tonight!?" Mr. Oobleck asked taking a long slurp from his ever-present travel mug.

"Football team? Of course not." Raven shot a confident grin, "The band, we always win."

"We are fortunate to have both you and your brother's musical prowess!" Mr. Port let a throaty chuckle. "Without you two, the band would have been disbanded years ago."

"And it'll keep going as long as we're here." She nodded reassuringly as she walked down her post by the main lobby. _Yet that might not be for too long._ Once in position, as if clockwork, the doors started to open as the hordes of students made their way in.

Crimson eyes scanned the crowd more intently, not only for any sign of trouble but for her objective. "Hats off!" She reminded some of the kids that walked in with their hats still on their heads. _Kids these days…_

White hair. There she was, wearing her staple of white blouse and skirt to match. "Weiss!" She called out causing the girl to hesitate. "I need to speak with you."

The girl nodded saying something to her friend, Velvet before making crossing the river of students. Soon enough, the diminutive girl stood before her towering teacher. "Good Morning, Mrs. Branwen."

She only nodded in response. Need to keep up appearances after all. "Study hall your first period?" She asked as her eyes scanned the crowd as she towered over them, her arms crossed.

"Yes, ma'am." She answered politely.

"Good. I will write a pass for your tardy then." She stated as a matter of fact. "We need to have a chat."

"Ma'am?" She raised an eyebrow.

Raven's crimson eyes gave a brief glance down as she kept her cold, neutral look. For about ten minutes, the two stood there as other students swarmed in. Soon enough the main lobby was empty, and just like that, the cold neutral look instantly faded away as she sat down on the bench in front of the Mustang statue. The girl was clearly on edge, so she patted the bench beside her, "Take a seat." Raven offered.

Reluctantly, the girl did. "Weiss, How are things?" She asked as she watched the buses depart from the school

"Things are going well.." She stated normally, yet Raven could detect some nervousness in her voice.

If it were for Yang telling her what happened, she would have believed the girl. She was exceptionally good. "You know you can talk to me about things. Off the record, you know."

"Y-yes ma'am." She stammered ever so slightly, something that was indeed caught.

"I noticed that you've been underperforming in band, at least that's what Qrow tells me. I see it during practice as well." Raven looked at the girl who seemed to be passive, her hands crossed on her lap. Still calm and collected. "You've lost your fire."

Yet she didn't say anything.

"Is it Cardin and Russell, have they been giving you a hard time?" Raven asked.

"No, Ma'am."

"Home then? Is everything alright with the family?" She pushed forward.

"Yes, Ma'am. No problems at home."

Now or never, "Falling out with someone? A crush maybe?"

A long pause filled tension charged air. That was all the confirmation she needed. "Weiss, you know you can talk to me, what's going on?"

Still nothing. Nothing.

.

..

…

….

…..

"Weiss," Ocean blue eyes looked up to meet fiery red eyes. A dance between ice and fire. Ice cold neutrality and blazing fiery seriousness met. "Weiss, you have the right to be happy."

A crack in the glacier. "What…?" As her wall cracked, her frown sank in as she looked away.

A chink in the armor. "No one has the right to make you unhappy. You can't let people take that right away, no matter what. It's what makes you, you." _Tell me, Weiss. Tell me, please._

She looked like she wanted to say something. Yet the water started to freeze again. "Ma'am, can I get that pass…?"

With a heavy heart, she reached into her pocket pulling out a pass and pen. With a frown, she signed her name on it and handed it to the girl.

Weiss stood up with slip in hand she took several steps turning to face Raven, "Mrs. Branwen."

She looked up, "Say someone didn't make me happy, made me scare, but I care about them, what would you do?"

"Leave them. Leave them and forget about them." She stated as a law of nature. "A relationship shouldn't be built on fear. Even if you think you can help them, they need to help themselves first."

The white-haired girl stopped a moment, pondering the words before smiling, "Thank you. Mrs. Branwen."

She couldn't but to smile, "Anytime Weiss, my door is always open." With that, Raven enjoyed the brief moment of satisfaction. _Hopefully she'll understand._ And if Weiss was ready to talk to her openly, she would be ready.

* * *

"Dude…. When are you going to be coming back to marching band?" Cardin slapped him across the back causing Jaune to nearly trip over himself.

After catching his footing, Jaune shot a glare at Cardin. "I don't know. I legit don't know."

"It's not the same without you," Russell muttered. "Weiss doesn't even do anything. She doesn't tap off. She doesn't help clean up, she doesn't even warm up with us."

 _Geeeee…. I wonder why._ "I should have been leader," Cardin muttered with clenched hands. "Weiss doesn't do a damn thing. She just stands around like a fucking bimbo."

Jaune kept his mouth shut. How could they possibly understand what's going through her mind? He could barely even comprehend it. "Maybe you should take it easy on her." He heard himself say.

Cardin stepped in front stopping him. "Dude…. Hold up." Causing Jaune smash right into Cardin's chest earning a chuckle from Russell. "You still like her, don't you?"

 _Yes?_

 _No?_

 _Maybe?_

 _No. just friends._

 _Then again…._

"Oh my god. He does!" Russell laughed out loud, smacking him in the chest causing Jaune to yelp.

"No….. she's just a friend." He defended himself, trying to muster his serious, calm, composed face he could muster. Apparently it worked.

"I would hope so after having that blonde hottie." Russell poked his side.

"Dude… that's Mrs. Branwen's daughter." Cardin informed the green-mohawk friend.

This was going down some dangerous territory, Jaune thought to himself as he kept his mouth shut, shooting daggers at Russell. "Threesome?" Russell laughed out loud causing Jaune to shoved his mohawk friend.

"She's a friend. A very good friend, better than you. No wonder Weiss can't stand both of you." Jaune said as he pushed past the two stunned bullies. _God the hell is wrong with those two._ He thought to himself as he continued down the hallway.

"Jauney boy." He looked to see a smirking Mercury Black.

* * *

He sat down at his lunch table only to be joined by Weiss. "Hello, Jaune."

" _Hi._ " He didn't even bother looking at her when he realized that his greeting had some thorns into it.

"What's wrong?" He felt a nudge in his side making him look up. He realized that she was only going to keep nagging him.

He shrugged, as he picked up his peach cups and gulped it down. "Nothing…" He wiped his mouth, giving a smile hoping it would give him a reprieve.

Yet again, it worked. Weiss concerned look eventually lightened up again. "Jaune…"

 _Well… fuck it… I guess it might as well be time to ask her_. "Weiss, what are you doing? I mean… this weekend." _Fingers crossed._

She stopped in her tracks, s if a deer caught in headlights. "Uhh… _what…?_ " She stammered as blinked rapidly.

"Are you doing anything? Saturday night?" He asked casually.

"N-no." She said unsure of where this might be going.

"Would you wanna come with me to a movie night at Yang's?"

She blinked. "Yang…?" She narrowed her eyes as if trying to remember, "Yang…"

"You remember Yang, blonde hair, laid back. Basically a spitting image of Raven, you met her at the county fair." He tried to jog her memory.

It clicked, "oh yes, I remember. Though, why are you asking me? I barely know her." She raised an eyebrow.

"Well… Yang knows that I know you, and she thought you pretty cool and wants to get to know you better." Jaune provided the rehearsed lines.

Weiss pondered his words before narrowing her eyebrows, "How do you know her?"

"Our parents…" The idea made him sick, "were best friends… I've always known Yang since we were kids."

"But you didn't know Raven… or you acted like you didn't." She noted suspiciously.

Jaune nodded to the valid point, "Appearances. Didn't want to be treated special." Just like that, he lied to his best friend. He couldn't tell her. The only person who knew was Yang and maybe even Ruby, no one else. No one else could know.

She stared at him as if trying to find any hint of a lie, "So that's why you were really close with her… I would have thought you had some feelings for her."

 _I'm not really that close with Yang, am I?_ "Nope, just friends." He tried to brush off the comment. "So do you wanna come with?"

She took it. "I…" her voice lost confidence, "... don't want to impose."

"Come on, Weiss." He smiled, "You can't impose if everyone wants you there." He was indeed sincere. His point is valid. His prayers were answered.

The girl's ice wall melted away. "Then yes, yes I will go." He didn't want to say it was a victory against Neptune. It was more than just that. It was about trying to heal the wounds between Jaune and her. It was about trying to heal her own emotional wounds caused by her so-called boyfriend. It was to show her that she has many more people who were willing to support her. "Awesome."

Deciding to write the address, he opened his binder to retrieve his paper only to freeze in mid-track.

"Jaune?" He heard his name call out questioningly.

 _Static_

 _Static_

 _Static._

Mercury. You fucking bastard. He stared at a very well photoshopped picture of a naked man and woman in the middle of the act. Though it was just a strangers, no, it was his face and Weiss' face photoshopped on. His eyes stared at the vulgar picture as he could feel his blood boil. In the corner, it said 'It's missing someone else. :)'

THAT FUCKING SON OF A BITCH!

"Jaune?" Sherries to peek over the binder only to have it slammed closed.

"Sorry…" He came back to his senses. "Brain fart."

BING BING BING!

With that lunch was over. "You sure?" She asked as they threw their trash out.

"Yep." He said as he made sure Weiss looking when he stuffed the picture into his pocket.

* * *

Homework sucked. Especially when it involved writing a six-page book report over a weekend. With a sigh she looked at her laptop, her cursor blinking over five full pages of pure bullshit. Golden bullshit, but bullshit none the less, causing the girl to smile.

Yet…. the last page…. "Ugh….." She tossed her head backward, her blonde hair drooping over her computer chair. "I don't wanna…." She lamented as she closed her eyes. Yet she could feel it eat at it her.

See… Yang was a get it done kind of girl. She didn't like to push anything off to the last minute. Get something done now so you can goof off later. It goes well with her headstrong attitude at times. Yet a lot of people take her a lazy, dumb, dim-witted oaf cause… well, ya know the stereotype of blonde girls.

It didn't help she was semi-popular and a star athlete with all of the boys chasing after her, it only reinforced the stereotype. Normally she spaced long assignments out, doing a little here a little there, yet she couldn't with the weekend. She wouldn't feel like doing shit tomorrow or even Sunday if they were doing an all-nighter. Lamenting at the fact that she needed to get her report of 1984 done, she stared at the computer, until she heard the front door open up, it must have been her mom and Jaune. _Well now would be a good time for a break_ , she thought with a mischievous smirk.

"Thanks again, Raven." She heard the familiar voice of Jaune as it got closer.

As if on cue, he was out in the hallway, he opened his door dropping off his book bag and headed over to Yang's room, "Sup?" She swirled her chair around.

He didn't say anything as he plopped down in her gaming chair. _Something was off._ "What's wrong?"

He reached into his pocket and handed Yang a piece of paper. She questioningly looked at it when he gestured for him to take it. With reluctance, she took the paper and opened it up. "Oh my god… what the hell..?"

….

….

"It's missing someone?" She asked with angry, confused expression.

"Real piece of fucking art, huh?" Jaune muttered as he ripped away the paper, not bothering to answer the question. If anything, it made him angrier.

She could feel her own temper rising looking at the picture. "Who did that...?" She demanded lowly. "I'll beat their face in."

"I'm pretty sure it was some douche bag, Mercury Black."

God even that name pissed her off. Her desire to smash her fist into this douche bag was intoxicating, yet she knew better. It also helped that she had no idea who this punk was. "So what's been up with you?" Jaune decided to change the subject as he tossed the paper into the trash can by her desk.

Normally she wouldn't have let it go, but sensing that he had enough, she decided to let it go… for now.

"Just about done with a book report on 1984." Yang cracked her knuckles, enjoying the pops after two hours of typing. "Pretty good book."

"Yeah… kind of scary that you can manipulate history to be whatever it is just by controlling people's thoughts…" Jaune nodded in agreement causing her to raise an eyebrow.

"You read it?"

He chuckled, "Oh yeah. 9th-grade literature… Our English teacher was into dystopia stuff… weird guy."

Yang turned back to her computer, saving her paper, and closed down her laptop, when her name was called "Hey, Yang." She turned backed to face Jaune.

"Thanks for inviting Weiss. I appreciate it."

Yang shrugged with an innocent smile, yet the underlying circumstances ate at her. How he broke her promise not to involve her mom. "Hey, everyone deserves to be happy." And she believed that deep down. Her friends deserved to be happy, and she would see to it to the best of her ability.

* * *

 _We are all on the same track_

 _We are all, We are the sons_

 _We are all, We are the sun_

 _we may not know everything_

 _But we're still ready to choose._

* * *

A/N

 **Hey guys!**

 **Got another chapter and such! Just realized that there is a lot of double-dealing going on…. Even though it's for a good reason, does it make it right? Let me know what you think.**

 **Also Raven knows about the Weiss situation, and it was Yang that had to talk her down from possibly making a bad situation worse..? Huh who would have thought.**

 **That reminds me! I need to stress this. Now that we actually know what kind of person Raven is in RWBY, I'm still going to stick with my version. I hate to say it, but my version has been more ingrained since new information. It would feel weird to do sudden character shift lol.**

 **And Yang…. You're such a softie! Also… this whole "Sauron's Little Band" will be an official thing on my profile! Always looking for new peeps XD. Let's see where this goes lol.**

 **So next time we have a movie night with Weiss and the rest of the gang! Oh, my I have a surprise for you! And we get a new character!**

 **So let me know what you guys think, please leave a fav, follow, or review, any and all are greatly appreciated.**

 **REVIEWS!**

 **Jiore: Hey buddy! Yeah the Branwen twins went through some real fucked up shit. We kind of have an idea with the hints and such, but we'll finally understand later what all happened.**

 **I try to portray as someone who is influenced by a traumatic event and tries to actively bury yet is influenced by on a conscious and subconscious level.**

 **As for messing with Ruby and Weiss… some people don't understand when not be stupid lol. Fingers crossed lol. What happens when fucked up shit revealed in a high school? Kind of makes you feel bad for Neptune, huh? Wait…. Nah lol. Hope you enjoyed the chapter my friend, always appreciate it!**

 **Deco. 64: No worries my friend! I'm glad you are so invested in the story, it really means a great deal to me! I hope I don't disappoint you.**

 **P.S. Always good to have a guitar! Hop on the bandwagon!**

 **Couldrenblock: Hey my friend I totally understand! Don't worry about it. I won't lie, I enjoy writing this Ruby, I'm glad you can connect with one of them. Like I said, I'm trying to aim for reality in a real world AU lol. From an author to another author, I salute you! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! p.s. I've added your name to the band list lol.**

 **Random O' Panda: Well it's good to see you too! I'm glad you're on the bandwagon! I love me some bass clarinet! *taps baton on podium***

 **A Random Commie: Ehhh don't worry, if he comes back, he comes back. I'mma just ignore it :)**

 **Hyaku Shiki 21491: I get it mate, like I said we cleared up the confusion. No hard feelings, I understand your criticism and politely accept it yet I'm confined by my own limitations of the goals of this story.**

 **Guest: I'm glad I'm keeping at it. Hope you aren't disappointed.**

 **Big Bad Beowolf: Hey my friend! I wouldn't be able to if it weren't for you all. So no, you go man!**


	33. AN Discord Server (gasp)

So a certain guest, A Random Commie, suggested that I make a discord and well... I did!

For those of you who don't know, discord is basically like skype but instead of calls, it uses servers and is meant for gamers (Though it is so incredibly useful for getting people together.)

Once you've done that, find the join/create server button and add the following link (without spaces, parentheses, or underscores)

(h_ t _ t _ p _ s _ : / _ / g _ g _ / _ B _ f _ D m _ 9 _ Q _ j )

hit enter and you should be in the server!

Yes, I plan are trying to make it a community for authors and just a way to talk to some friends! Let's make this thing happen!

Let me know if you have any problems,

See ya there

LordxSauron

P.s. I'll be removing this chapter and be adding a reminder in the next chapter.


	34. Chapter 34: The Words I Should Have Said

**Chapter 34: The Words I should Have Said**

* * *

 _You know... to be honest... I'm not one for rap music... heck even back as kid, I never really enjoyed it. Though there was one way for me to tolerate it: if it had a positive message._

 _That being said one particular artist sang a song that I should have paid attention to. It's funny if you think about it. Music has all sorts of messages that we listen to, yet when we reflect on the past and what we listened to, we realize the answers we needed were in the lyrics the entire time!_

 _Like this:_

 _Fear is such a weak emotion, that's why I despise it_

 _We scared of almost everything, afraid to even tell the truth_

 _So scared of what you think of me, I'm scared of even telling you_

 _Sometimes I'm like the only person I feel safe to tell it to_

 _I'm locked inside a cell in me, I know that there's a jail in you,_

 _Consider this your bailing, so take a breath, inhale a few._

* * *

"We need this. And this. What about this? Probably… oh my! And this!" Yang said as her arms were filled with every kind of imaginable junk food.

"You know… there is a reason why I have the basket" he said as he followed the blonde girl.

Worst mistake of his life. "You're right!" Yang dumped all of her junk in the basket causing Jaune to almost drop it.

"Need this and this!" She emerged with two large bags of Doritos, cool ranch and nacho cheese. It was a genuine surprise to see that the basket was holding as much junk food it was. Chips, Doritos, candy, pretzels. Oh don't forget the candy, pretzels, cheese puffs, popcorn, you can't forget the popcorn.

"You know it isn't the end of the world or anything… Some might you think you're a prepper."

The blonde girl whirled around, cocking her head in confusion, "Prepper?"

"You know, like a doomsday prepper. One of those people who turns a bunker into a home."

 ***Thunk*** A 2 liter of soda was dropped into the basket causing him to almost the basket again. "Give it three hours, it'll be all gone. You know Blake has an insane appetite."

That was a fair point. The shy girl had quite an appetite, a rather impressive one at that. "Yeah… She ate that size of jumbo marshmallows at Pyrrha's bonfire." He recalled.

 ***Thunk*** "Code Red or Voltage?" She asked holding up the Mountain Dew bottles.

 _Come on Yang… such a no-brainer._ "Both, duh."

Yang blinked at both the bottles for a moment as if thinking it over. "I like how you think!" She tossed them in. "Just don't think about making a dewrito smoothie."

"God… I think your parents would kill me." Jaune gagged at the idea. "...that was just a nasty video."

"Best video." Yang corrected, her smirk only growing more see Jaune gag. "Lightweight." She mumbled.

"Yeah. Yeah." He inhaled slowly, trying to settle his stomach at the horrendous image of mountain dew and Doritos smoothie. "God, how did you even find that video?" He asked as Yang dumped another thing of cookies in.

"Recommended videos." She shrugged.

He stopped for a moment, blinking in astonishment, "What the hell do you watch for that to be recommended?"

"Ya don't wanna know." Yang let out a small chuckle. She took a look at the basket, then Jaune, "You think we have enough?"

The weight told him the answer, "Yesss, we have enough."

After going through checkout and getting a rather nasty bill of fifty-seven dollars and some odd cents, they headed outside, Jaune carrying the bags. "Let me get one of the bags." Yang reached for Jaune to speed up,

"Nope." Of all things he was taught back at home, it was to be a gentleman. That…. And he just was wanted to sit on the bench that overlooked a small community playground and river. Mostly to sit down though, his fingers felt like they were being crushed.

Upon crossing the street, he rushed over to the bench, dropping his bags, balling his hands into fists, feeling the knuckles pop. "Sheesh. That wouldn't have happened if you let me help." Yang shook her head with a smile as she sat on the bench, kicking her legs up on the small wooden fence that separated the benches from the playground.

Jaune shrugged as he took a seat beside her. "Oh well." He shrugged as he kicked up his own feet "So…. how long are we going to be waiting, not that I mind?" He watched as Yang fished out her phone, opening it up and tapping a quick.

After a few moments, she got a message, "Soon, apparently Neo is the only one working today, Roman is sick."

Fair enough, Jaune supposed. Though some stuck out to him… just the sheer effort of all of this. "Yang, why are you doing this?" He asked as dug into the bag and pulled out a thing of starbursts, giving Yang all of the yellow and reds while Jaune got all of the pinks and oranges.

"Doin what?" She asked with a mouthful of starbursts.

"This seems like a lot of effort… It just…" He rubbed his chin as he chose his words carefully, "seems excessive."

She held a finger up as munched down on the starbursts. After swallowing, she punched his arm playfully. "Of course not. You should have seen it when we were kids. Those were some crazy parties."

He raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"

"Yeah, Ruby almost burned down her home trying to help Summ with baking." She recalled fondly. "Set off the fire alarms and all that, fire trucks arrived and stuff. It was _crazy._ " She giggled.

The thought… well… was disturbing, to say the least. "So what caused _that?_ "

"Her ninth birthday…." She wiped a tear away from laughter. "God, I wish you were there, she was practically giggling the entire time."

He nodded with an almost approving looking. "Note to self, Ruby is going to be a future arsonist," which earned a chuckle from Yang as well as a fist to his shoulder.

"Hey, don't be mean."

"I'd never." Jaune chuckled.

 ***BEEP BEEP***

Jaune leaped to his feet turning to see a grinning Tai behind them in his car with a giant grin plastered on his face. "Did I scare ya?!"

"No….." Jaune his chin up, puffing his chest up.

"You did," Yang shouted back causing Jaune to deflate, shooting her a betrayed look.

* * *

Bowl upon bowl upon bowls were filled with various heart attack inducing foods. ***CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH** * "Ya know… that is probably the most annoying thing ever…" Yang shot a look at her mother, father, and Jaune as they kept munching on the extra crispy kettle cooked chips.

Everyone stopped reaching into the bowl, looking at one another. "It isn't that loud," Jaune muttered.

"It's deafening." Yang countered.

A hand reached out slowly picking up one single chip and lifted up the chip up to a pair of smirking lips. Just like that ***CRRRRRRRRRUUUUUNCCCCHHH*** Raven smirked as she obnoxiously bit down, her husband following her lead.

 ***CRRRRRRRRRUUUUUNNNNNCCCCCCHHHHHH*** Taiyang bit down even louder.

"I hate all of you." The blonde girl brought her hand up shaking her head in disappointment. "Those chips were the worst idea."

"The best idea," Raven smirked mischievously.

"They're pretty damn good." Tai agreed.

"I love the crunch!" Jaune said as he got a handful of chips.

 ***RING RING RING***

Yang just shook her head as she moved to open the door to be rather shocked. He met with not only Ruby but also Blake, Pyrrha, and Summer. "Hi guys" Yang moved aside allowing the newcomers in. "Come on in." She noted as Ruby, Blake, and Pyrrha came in with their own bags of junk food.

"Hey Summ." She greeted, seeing that her aunt was a little down in the dumps she asked, "What's up?"

The woman smiled, her sadness a thing of the past. "Oh nothing, your uncle is just a little sick."

Yang nodded as she closed the door behind her aunt. "Thanks for getting everyone, you didn't have to."

Summer hugged her blonde niece, "Pshhht, I was in the neighborhood."

"GUYS!" Yang could here the Jaune's voice exclaim in surprise. "You need to try these chips. Yang _loves_ them."

Summer seemed only to smile even more as she headed through the living only to be followed by Yang. Not surprisingly everyone was just eating those stupid chips. _Note to self. Don't get those ever. EVER._

"Hey Summ!" Tai waved her into the kitchen, "Yang, why don't you get everyone settled in the living room."

As if on cue, Jaune started to grab the bowls and moved into the living room, setting them down on the table. As usual, Blake snagged the bag of Doritos and Pyrrha, the cheese puffs. _Jerks…._ She sighed as everyone plopped down on the couch, day bed and recliner.

"You guys are just going to get fat." Yang shook her head disapprovingly.

"M…. arc….ing… B… and" Pyrrha defended with a mouthful of Cheetos.

"I don't eat," Blake said as she munched away.

"That's a lie!" Pyrrha objected. "Marshmallows."

"High metabolism then." Blake countered.

Ruby dashed into the room holding a bowl for cool, diving into a mound of pillows as she screamed "Cookies!"

Once everyone got settled, Yang broke out her substantial movie collection. "Alright guys, what are we watching?"

Blake seemed pretty meh about it about it as she shrugged, continuing her her Doritos. "Oh! Oh!" Her lilac eyes shifted two see a hand waving up with two eager silver eyes "Aliens! Aliens! Aliens!"

"Yeah, you're an alien." Jaune laughed as he watched Ruby rise from the mound of pillows like a mummy.

He earned a pillow to the face. "More like a groundhog." Yang chuckled as she swatted the pillow flying to her face.

"Oh I know!" Pyrrha waved her hand. "Princess Bride!"

"Overwatched" Blake muttered from her phone.

Pyrrha crossed her arms, "Oh yeah, Miss Belladonna, what would you watch."

"Pan's Labyrinth." She countered.

"No. No. No. No. Nope. On soooooo many levels." Jaune shook his head vigorously with a frightened look. "Nope on sssssssoooo many levels. I'm not going to watch a demon goat that can see through its eyes."

 ***RING RING RING***

Yang's head peeked upward to look out the window. "It's Weiss." which caused Jaune to stir a little bit. She gestured for him to stay put, she went to the door and opened it. She looked out the window to see an older woman parked in the driveway who had the same features of Weiss, just slightly older. She blinked as Weiss just held her arms, a small bag slung on her back.

"Weiss!" Yang greeted mightily with a hug which must have startled the girl. "Long time, no see!" She could feel the girl trying to cringe away, but with a smile, Yang wouldn't let that happen. The girl must have given up she slowly wrapped her arms around Yang.

"I… uh… hello?" She stammered with slight confusion.

She ushered in, guiding her towards the other guests. "Don't be shy. We're all friends here!" Upon entering the room, the blonde girl cleared her throat to make a very important announcement, "Ladies and Gentleman, may I introduce Weiss!"

"Sup." Blake looked up from her phone.

"Hello!" Pyrrha practically sang.

Ruby gave a shy wave.

Without really thinking, Jaune stood up embracing his friend. "Hey there." He said in a relaxing voice.

Yang watched with some interest seeing the girl's abrasiveness faded away. She seemed to be a lot more comfortable in Jaune's arms than her own arms. _Heh._ She smirked watching the two. "Alright you two lovebirds. We still have a child in the room."

"Hey!" Ruby pouted which didn't help her case.

* * *

 **Meanwhile in the kitchen…**

"Hey Summer, how's it going?" Tai pulled a seat out her friend as Raven kept munching on the chips. "Where's birdman?"

He realized he messed up when a frown only deepened, a look of hopelessness causing Raven and Tai to look at one another with concern. "Summer, how is my brother?" Raven put down the bowl.

"He's… I don't know… He doesn't talk to me. He said he was just sick. He didn't even get out of bed today." She explained causing a ball of dread to settle in his gut. The look on his wife only confirmed the gut feeling. She looked as if she was getting anxious. As usual, she put on her brave exterior in a matter of mere milliseconds.

"He's just nervous about tomorrow. He's going to be talking about a lot of stuff that he doesn't want to talk about." Raven reasoned more for herself. "He'll be fine."

Summer just slumped in her chair with a sigh, "Yeah… I hope so."

Tai moved to the counter, picking up a pizza, and offering it to Summer, "Why don't you take one and just the spend the whole day with him, we'll watch over Rubes."

Two silver eyes blinked at him with an almost confused look. "No…. I couldn't…. Those are for the kids."

Raven waved a dismissive hand, "Psht. We got one for the two of you, your favorite, veggie. Take it, I know for a fact the kids won't touch with a ten-foot pole."

Sumer took the pizza with gratitude, "You guys are the best."

* * *

Jaune made room on the couch for Weiss as she sat down beside him, perfectly content with her company as everyone debated what movies to watch. "Hey guys, Summer is leaving," Raven announced as her red eyes scanned over the group.

She smacked herself on the forehead forgetting about Weiss, "Weiss, this my husband Tai," He stepped out offering his hand.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Xiao-Long,"

He chuckled in response,"Please, just Tai."

"And this is Ruby's mom, Summer." Raven introduced which Weiss shook her hand.

"Just Summer." She said with a smile.

"Whatcha got there?" Yang looked with a suspicious gleam in her eyes.

Summer merely hoisted the box over her head. "Something not for you." which only made Yang stand up.

"Something for me?"

"You like veggie pizza?" Summer released the bomb, lowing the box and show opening the lid.

It connected as Yang took several steps back, gagging. "You guys are weird," She said trying to recover from the foul stench causing everyone to laugh.

"I told ya." Raven nudged Summer's side with an elbow. "Weiss, make yourself at home, take your shoes off."

Jaune watched as she looked at everyone, noting how they all had their shoes off. "Thank you," She said as she removed, he could sense that was still extremely uncomfortable.

"Guyyyyyyyys, what movie are we goin to watch?" Yang whined as her gaze fell upon Weiss, "Any suggestions?"

"Say Aliens! Say Aliens" Ruby begged. "Anything with aliens or Aliens!"

Yang plopped down on the ground, rolling her eyes. "Ignore her."

"Whatever you guys want to watch, I'm not picky."

Then it hit Jaune like a truck going ninety. "Lord of the Rings?"

Blake perked with an unusual amount of interest. "That's a good idea."

"Extended edition!" Pyrrha suggested.

Ruby let out a sigh, "I guess orcs are close enough to aliens…"

"You cool with Lord of the Rings?" He asked Weiss.

Weiss looked around the room with a neutral expression giving a slight shrug, "I never seen it," which caused everyone in the room, including Jaune to gasp.

"We're changing that. Now." Jaune said nodding to Yang who dashed upstairs. Within a few moments, she produced the trilogy extended edition. "Here we go!"

Jaune leaned toward Weiss "You're going to love it."

* * *

Thus the old wizard stood his ground against the massive fiery Balrog, slamming his staff into the bridge. The shook as the bridge gave way leading to the massive creature falling into the bottomless abyss. Thinking he was safe, the elderly wizard turned around.

 ***Whaitch!*** A fiery whip crackled, wrapping itself around the wizard ankle dragging him down, holding on with all his strength, peeked over the edge one last time, uttering….

 _ **Rinnnng Rinnnng Rinnnnng.**_

Jaune immediately shot up from his spot as everyone started to come out of LoTR comma. "Whaaaa?" Ruby peeked up from her blanket.

Soon they realized it was Weiss' cell going off. Jaune watched the color from her face was slowly draining as she stared at the phone. "Weiss? Who is it?" Her trembling hand held the phone out just enough for him to see. _Nep._ Neptune Vasilias.

"I… I…" she stammered as she stared at the phone. "... haven't… talked to him since the fair."

"Who?" Blake asked as she began to sit up.

"Neptune Vas-"

"Oh that jackass…" Blake murmured with narrowed brows.

Apparently that stunned Weiss. "Excuse me?" She crossed her arms. _Why the hell would she be getting defensive over Neptune_ , Jaune thought to himself.

"Do you even know what that jackass was doing? He was picking on Ruby." Blake pointed as she snarled at the memory. "A very close friend who just got bumped up two grades. First thing he does? Makes a fucking incest joke with Yang and her."

"I would have to agree with Blake," Pyrrha chimed in with a more subdued tone. "He was rather impolite."

Blake rolled her eyes. "That's being mild about it."

The phone fell silent as a certain tension filled the room. "He-"

"... that's not all he did…" Ruby's hushed voice cut her off. "He started rumors… I… that I whored my way tenth grade… that I-" She stopped when Yang immediately wrapped an arm around her younger cousin. The young girl only embraced her back, resting her head on the shoulder, her hair covering up her tearful silver eyes. "Now… I just hear…" She shuddered, "... hear all of the rumors, now everyone just stares at me."

"What," Blake growled.

"He's crossed the line." Even Pyrrha seemed rather furious.

Jaune could see the pure hatred in Yang's eyes as they almost seemed to flicker red with fire. "That son of a bitch." She fumed with an almost animalistic rage. "I should have beaten his fucking face in when I had the fucking chance."

"...Yang." Ruby whispered from her shoulder, "No."

It was time for Jaune to settle the angry dragon's fiery rage, "Ruby's right, that would make things only worse for Ruby. I think we can all agree that we don't want that to happen to her." He said as he looked around, Blake and Pyrrha nodded.

Heck even Weiss nodded. _WAIT._ Weiss was nodding.

"I made a bad mistake," Weiss muttered as brought her cheek

She pulled out her phone and dialed a few numbers. "What are you doing?" Jaune asked which was answered with a finger in the air which silenced him.

A few more moments.

Then someone must have picked up. "Neptune." She bristled.

… …. ….

"No, I don't care."

…. …. ….. ….. …

Weiss brows narrowed as her warm self instantly frozen over to sharp ice sickles. "Listen to me. We are done. I am through with you. I want you to stay as far away as possible. If you ever try to lay a finger on me again, I will notify the police. If you keep harassing Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao-Long, or _ANY_ of her friends, I will notify the police for harassment. I'm blocking you now."

Before he could even respond, she immediately ended the call, stunning the entire room into silence.

"Weiss…?" Jaune questioned slowly.

"She's alright in my book." Blake approved.

"Blake…" Pyrrha admonished.

Though it was Ruby who asked the question everyone wanted to know, "Why?"

Immediately the ice exterior receded. "I made the poor decision of going out with him and look at what it did to all of you. It's time I start correcting my mistakes. Besides, Ruby, no one should have to endure those kinds of rumors."

God if there was anytime Jaune wanted to kiss the girl next to him, it was now. Yet he suppressed the urge. "Now, if I'm not mistaken. We have a movie to watch."

And so the entire night, they watched all three movies. God it was an event towards the third one, which started around 11 PM, everyone opted to set up for the night, Yang grabbing as many pillows and blankets as she could, they made a massive bed of blankets and pillows on the ground, everyone having more than enough room.

There Jaune discovered a new found sensation. Weiss snuggled into him as he looked down, her arm around her shoulder. He smiled as the film fully enveloped her. Unfortunately for him, his eyes started to get heavier and heavier once the lights were off and he drifted off to peaceful sleep, blissfully unaware of a certain snowflake snuggling into him even more.

* * *

 **Sunday morning**

 ***BWRANG BWRANG BWRANG***

Two tired-eyed popped open staring at the clock 6:00 A.M. Raven sat up, turning off the alarm. Turning to face her still an unconscious husband, she gave him a light shake. "Tai… get up. We got an hour."

Through the incoherent mumbling, she could make out the sounds of "I don't wanna," causing his wife to roll his eyes as she stood up.

With some effort, she ripped the blankets off of him. "Rise and shine, you bum."

"Too damn early." He muttered in self-defense as he sat up.

Soon enough they were dressed in business casual clothing for their rather important meeting. She looked over to see Tai finishing up his tie, and with that, they headed downstairs where Tai wrote a note saying

' _Hey guys,_

 _We went to go shopping and get some breakfast. There should be plenty of leftovers for breakfast and lunch._

 _See ya in bit,_

 _Dad'_

With that, he left it on the kitchen table as Raven leaned at the door frame watching over everyone's sleeping forms. "Remind you of anything?" Tai asked as he stood beside her.

"Older times." She answered simply with a small smile causing him to drape an arm around his wife. Her eyes drifted over to Yang and Ruby who were sleeping under a mound of pillows and blankets. Her smile grew even more when she saw Jaune, arm wrapped around Weiss, who was sleeping on his shoulder.

"Yeah, some pretty good times." He remembered fondly. "To think that we were kids…. Huh… we're old."

He earned a slap to the chest, "You might be." She whispered as she leaned into him. "To think that junior year, you asked me out at a sleepover."

"Yeah, I distinctly remember you saying no." Tai practically hummed.

"I… yeah… I did.. Summer talked me into saying yes." She admitted with a small frown, feeling slightly guilty.

"Do you regret changing your mind?" He smirked as she looked up at him.

"Of course not." She pecked him on the lips. "I'm glad I have my man-child."

He smiled confidently as he rubbed her shoulder. "You nervous?" That's when he saw it, the confident act that he knew she always kept up slightly taper off. She practically shrank away from him, the fact that she didn't answer him only confirmed his suspicion.

"I…" Her voice sounded practically hollow, lacking her usual fire, "I… am." She admitted causing him to embrace her tightly.

"You won't have to be, You got Qrow, Summ, and me." He tried to ease her nervousness.

"Yeah… I'm afraid for Qrow. He's going to be bringing up stuff he hadn't even told me." Raven sighed as she looked over the sleeping kids.

"Yeah… well, at least we'll be there as a family." Raven looked up to him with a sincere smile. However, it faltered.

"Just promise me your opinion of us won't change."

"Never." He placed a kiss on her forehead. "Never."

* * *

Thankfully the county seat, Bloomfield was not very far away from Newport, in fact, it was a mere twenty minutes away. Upon arriving at the small town's square, they did a loop around the civil war moment that stood tall in the town's square. Find a parking spot along the street, they got out and crossed the street to reach the courthouse.

As predicted, there waiting for them was Summer and Qrow, sitting on a bench. Upon seeing their two friends, they stood up and walked over, embracing one another. "Long time, no see, strangers." Summer greeted, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah…" Raven shifted uncomfortably as she eyed her brother who looked sick, almost like a decrepit old man. A vast contrast to his usual, youthful vigor.

"Qrow, buddy? You don't look alright." Tai placed a concerned hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Didn't get much sleep." He mentioned with lifeless eyes staring right into Taiyang, sending him shivers.

"Is he alright?" Raven whispered into Summer's ear.

She shot her an almost helpless, confused look. "He was like this all day yesterday, barely got out of bed. I asked if he wanted to talk about it but he said he couldn't."

With that, Raven nodded and immediately embraced her brother. "Qrow…." She said in her soothing tone. "We can do this." She parted slightly, resting her forehead upon his, "You can do this."

She saw something stir in her brother, some flicker of fire in his dull sunken in eyes. The deeply fixed frown twitching ever so slightly. "Thanks, Rae."

With that, they walked up the stairs, the Branwen siblings leading the charge. After walking up a flight of stairs, they came to an office with a plaque on the wooden frame. "Dr. James Ironwood."

Qrow gave a quick rasp on the door which after some rustling the door opened to reveal a man slightly older than Qrow, a tall, broad man with black hair, gray on the sides. He held out his hand, covered in a black glove that snaked up to the wrist which Qrow shook without any hesitation. "Good to see you Sgt. Qrow, wish it was under better circumstances."

"You too Colonel Ironwood." Qrow moved out of the way to introduce the rest of his group. "Guys this Colonel James Ironwood, our lawyer."

"An honor," Tai shook his head.

"Thank you for your service." Summer shook his hand.

Raven didn't say much, simply opting to shake his hand noting that something a little off.

"Ironwood, this would be Taiyang, my brother-in-law, Summer Rose, my wife, and Raven, my sister."

The veteran took a step back, gesturing them to come into his office. "It's a pleasure to help the family of the man who saved my life." As everyone took a seat, Ironwood moved behind his desk, putting out a microphone.

"Unfortunately, I need to conduct interviews of the personal variety to get a baseline which will be used as evidence by both sides. Transparency will be our greatest weapon."

Just like that the room became completely and eerily silent. A pin drop hitting the floor could be heard as dark, ominous clouds rolled in only matched by the souring moods of those within the room.

* * *

 _Indeed Weiss did break out of her jail. She said the words that she needed to say. She broke free. Living with the fear of the unknown, living in a lie. She now had a fresh start. Even to this day, I'm proud of her. I'm proud of how she decided to take life into her own hands._

 _And to think that this profound advice was in a rap song._

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hi guys! Omg... Can I just say that I'm legit tired right now. I'm writing this around 2:30 A.M. lol. Someone grab me an emergency bed pleaseeeee... must keeep... going.**

 **So this chapter was light-hearted with some real heavy moments.**

 **Yang loves her junk food just as much as Ruby loves Aliens and... well... aliens. Who would have thought?**

 **Though... Weiss... oh my! let me tell you. She wasn't having any of it. She ended it. Bye Bye Neptune, though, have we really seen the last of him? (Who knows!?). But for real I wanted to portray Weiss' decision to break up with Neptune as a spur of the moment reaction to the shit that Neptune was pulling.**

 **Blake could have leaked that she knew Neptune and Weiss were dating and ya... know... she hit her. That could have been super bad for everyone, yet she played it semi-cool.**

 **STRQ is going through some really tough times, especially with this upcoming visit with Dr. Ironwood (who was also a vet). Let me just say that the next two chapters are going STRQ based and will be _extremely heavy._ They are probably going to be the most important chapters for two of the characters and will explain who they are as fundamental human beings as well as their past and how it shaped them. That being said, serious issues will be involved. you have been warned. (I'll put an A/N before the chapters) **

**Now with that out of the way! One more announcement:**

 **I have a discord server now! Come and join up! It's basically skype but much better! Trying to build a community where we can just hang out and stuff, get in calls with like-minded people! Just enter the following address when joining a server.**

 **(without spaces, parentheses, or underscores)**

 **(h_ t _ t _ p _ s** _ : **/ _ / g _ g _ / _ B _ f _ D m _ 9 _ Q _ j )**

 **hit enter and you should be** in **the server!**

 **Alright! Question time: What did you guys think? Reactions, thoughts, predictions, feedback, criticism, any and all, I love them! Let me know what you think! It's always appreciated.**

 **ALSO: I AM LOOKING FOR FANART for the story! PM if you're interested**

 **ALSO: I AM LOOKING FOR A BETA for the story! PM if you're interested. Keep in mind that I'm editing this (not my strength) so if I miss something, I apologize ahead of time.**

 **REVIEWS!**

 **Tronmaster5704: Hey buddy! I'm glad to be back! And let me tell you, I'm glad you've supported me. It is trully appreciated, hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Random O' Panda: Soooooo much double-dealing. As for band, I can't actually imagine how bad it would be playing bass clarinet lol... Wonders of percussion lol! I hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **MorgotII: Hey my friend! Well if it makes you feel any better, you're going to have more reasons to hate Mercury ;) Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **DragonManMax: Yeeeaaahhh dude. Probably not the help you were expecting but sometimes you need a kick in the face to see the truth. As for Mercury, ohhhhhh yeahhhhhhhh totally going to make Jaune's life much easier... (totes not sarcasm ;) Hope you enjoyed the chapter**

 **Killkill123100: *HUG* Long time no see! Oh my goodness I'm excited for Mercury! Hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **CasuallyPosting: I'm glad you enjoy the chapter! It means a great deal to me. Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **Alright guys. Thank you so much, but I'm sleepy now.**

 ***Falls asleep on keyboarddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd***

 **Thank you for reading,**

 **-Lordxsauron**


	35. Chapter 35: A Wretched Little War

**CHAPTER 35: A Wretched Little War**

 **A/N- This chapter contains abuse, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Read at your own peril. You have been warned.**

* * *

 _What is the definition of war? According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, war is a state of armed conflict between different nations or states or different groups within a nation or state. What do you see in war? Tanks? Jets, armies of men? Usually. War has always been publicized as something glamorous, righteous, limited casualties and such. It wasn't until the Vietnam, and its media coverage, that the reality of war can be seen._

 _They don't talk about the bodies. They don't talk about the burned out vehicles. They don't talk about the innocents lying dead on the street. They don't talk about hell behind it._

 _That's what Qrow told me. Even now, I can't understand the things that the man went through. There is a difference between knowing and experiencing._

 _Though, I don't think he will argue with my own definition of war. My own definition is rather all-encompassing. I see war as two sides opposing sides violently conflicting over something. By my own definition, Qrow has been fighting a war all of his life. Against his father, against himself, against his circumstances, and yes even when he arrived in the actual frontlines in Bosnia. That man is a veteran in my eyes, not just for his service in the army, but by the fact that he is still kicking._

* * *

The four stared at one another, unable to come to a consensus. Qrow, well, Qrow didn't want to go. He knew what people would say. He _knew_ what they would think. As much as he tried to put it behind him, it would be the first time into his inner workings, as a kid, and now as an adult.

Funny how that works. _Heh._

He sighed giving a dismissive wave of the hand, "I'll go." Everyone's eyes shifted over to the nonchalant man, "Might as well get it over with."

"So you understand that I'm going to be asking very personal questions?" Ironwood asked.

"Got it," Qrow affirmed as he sat up straighter, taking a more professional posture.

"Alright, let's get started." Ironwood's hand hit the record button.

"James Ironwood, interviewing teacher and veteran, Qrow Branwen."

The pause was getting rather uncomfortable as everyone started to shift around in their chair, eyeing each other. Finally, the silence was broken.

"Qrow Branwen, could you describe your childhood?"

Immediately he could see Raven reacting, he shot a look to his sister, telling her not to even think about it.

"Tell me about your childhood."

A blast of images flashed before his eyes. Images of young Qrow, messy black hair, in dirty, ripped clothing. He saw Raven, his beloved sister, in ripped and dirty clothing. Her hair tied back into a ponytail.

And then _him._

He remembered the beatings. The belts, the socks with batteries, the cold showers, the lack of food, the closet, his tenth birthday.

"It wasn't a good time to say the least. Our father was an asshole." He laughed, deprecatingly. "Yeah… Grade 'A' father."

"How so?"

* * *

 ***Qrow's and Raven's 10th birthday.***

A young little looked at the box right in front of him. So incredibly insignificant. So incredibly touching. "Go on, take it." She pushed the box towards him.

"I can't…" He insisted, pushing it back.

"It's your birthday." Raven pushed back with a slightly annoyed tone.

"Your's too." He countered simply.

"Qrow…." The little Raven sighed.

"I'll take it if we split it?" Qrow suggested as he looked into the box. That seemed pretty reasonable. With a reluctant sigh, Raven agreed as she produced two forks, offering one to Qrow.

Cake. A simple vanilla cake with white icing. A very rare treat especially on a day as this. "How'd you get it?" He asked as he dug in.

After taking a bite, Raven wiped her mouth from the icing, "Don't worry about it," which meant she stole it. His sister had rather nimble fingers and good eyesight. She probably managed to pickpocket a few people on the street and scrounged up enough money to buy this rather delightful treat.

Yet all good things have to come to an end as is the world, according to Qrow Branwen.

After eating the cake, he stood up and wandered over to the window as he watched the ominous moonlight cast shadows throughout the forest. Off in the distance, he could see a pair of headlights coming down the gravel pathway. A pit filled his stomach, his heart racing. "He's coming." A young Qrow whispered from his window.

"Damn it." Raven appeared right beside as she pressed her forehead up against the glass. "He's home too early." The young girl's crimson eyes narrowed as the car approached. "You don't have to worry." she placed a warm hand on his shoulder causing him to wince as a car door slamming could be heard.

"Get in the closet." Raven pulled him away from the window, opening the slatted closet door.

"No, Rae, not again." A ten-year-old Qrow protested. "I can't let you-"

 ***BANG***

The door opened up as he felt a strong arm push him into the closet, ending all negotiations. "Stay quiet and don't come out," The young Raven hissed.

Heavy footsteps rang throughout the house, he could feel the vibrations through the hardwood flooring.

 ***WHAM***

As if there was a clap of thunder, the room shook as the door collided with the wall. Heavy booted footsteps fell upon the room.

"WHERE THE HELL IS HE?!" A slurred, drunken voice roared.

Qrow could only watch as Raven got up from the bed. "No idea who you're talking about, _father._ " She hissed scornfully.

Suddenly the man lunged at her, his hand clamping down around her throat like a vice. "You have quite a mouth on you, you filthy bitch. You know the only reason I tolerate you is because you look like _her._ "

"Then I don't know what _she_ saw in you." She spat back vehemently

Qrow's heart broke as he watched his sister being tossed on the bed like a doll. "QROW, I KNOW YOU CAN SEE THIS. COME OUT YOU COWARD." He roared at the top of his lungs.

"Go… to… hell." She spat as she lifted herself up only to be violently shoved back down.

Qrow watched as his father started to choke his sister. He listened as his sister gasped for air, feebly trying to lash out. "YOU SON OF A BITCH! Come out here right now! I know you can hear me, I'LL KILL YOUR SLUT OF A SISTER IF I HAVE TOO!"

That was enough for him to burst through the door, "Dad please…. please… let her go. SHE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"

He watched as his father did nothing, his passion, his sole fixation was his hands around his daughter's throat. Yet Qrow's body reacted on pure animal instinct as he tried to pull his father off his sister. His father's group loosened.

 ***COUGH COUGH GASP COUGH COUGH***

He could see Raven practically heaving as she sucked in as much air as she could get. Yet that didn't stop the man towering over him as a powerful fist to the face sent Qrow to the ground.

 ***THUD***

He could taste the metallic hint of blood in his mouth as he laid on the ground completely helpless, his hearing filled with an incessant ringing sound as the world swirled around him. "You don't even know what day it is?" He could hear his father's voice as he stomped his boot into young boy's gut causing him to cry out in agony. "You son of a bitch! It's the day that you killed your mom."

 ***STOMP***

"You two should have been the ones to die. How could you take the woman I _loved,_ " His words crushed more than his blows.

 ***STOMP***

 ***STOMP***

Each blow from his boot sent searing hot lances of pain through Qrow's malnourished body. He couldn't talk as his mouth started to fill with blood, each blow spewing more and more from his mouth.

 ***STOMP***

 ***STOMP***

"STOP IT!" He could see his sister trying to tackle their father only to be tossed into the ground. Qrow's eyes could barely focus as he saw his father undoing his belt. He tried to reach up, he tried to say something, tried to stop it.

* **CRACK** *

He could hear his sister's cries of pain as a belt came crashing down. Again. And again. And again. And again.

Soon the cries stopped, then everything turned dark. He could see Raven's red eyes staring at him as she bit her lip.

* **Crack** *

She slightly winced as she stared into his soul, giving him the fuel to keep going.

* **Crack** *

* **Crack** *

* * *

 **Present day**

"What did he mean when he said you killed the woman he loved?" Ironwood asked.

Qrow didn't answer, how could he when he never really had a mother? Thankfully it was his sister who answered for him. "There was a complication with our birth…" Her throat constricted at the idea.

He watched as she tried to come to terms with it. She was nowhere near the defenseless little girl she was before. She stood up for him, hell she even saved his life once or twice before. Yet now he was starting to understand the damage that it did to her. "She died. Her death turned our father into abusive, neglectful, raging alcoholic who drank himself to death." She practically spat.

Dark thoughts started to creep into his mind. Thoughts he thought he buried decades ago. I am the direct cause for Raven's pain, my mother's as well as my father's death.

The journey into the dark recesses of his mind continued on, "How did you end up in child protective services?" Ironwood pushed forward

* * *

 **Qrow's 10th Birthday**

* **Tap** * * **Tap** * * **Tap** *

"Qrow."

He heard his voice being called, a light shining in his eyes. Then he felt it. His everything hurt. Everything was swirled around as if he were on a boat. A resounding headache, sides ached, the inability to focus. "Qrow. Hey… Come on…" * **Tap** * * **TAP** * * **TAP** * He felt something peck on his cheek.

Two very pain filled eyes opened up. "R-"

"Shhh." She lifted his head up, putting two more pillows underneath to support his head. "You're fine. You're safe. Everything is alright." She handed him a cup, holding his head up as she helped him down the contents. Once the water was gone, she eased him back down.

"I'm sorry…" He croaked, unable to look at her. "You…. You…. All I do is hurt people." He lamented as he lifted his hands high enough for him to see them.

"Can you scooch over?" There was plenty of room on the old mattress. He winced as he slid his body over. She laid down beside him, getting underneath the one blanket that they shared.

"Qrow, please look at me." She tried to soothe him, yet he couldn't bear to look into her eyes.

How could he if all he did was cause pain. The only thing he could remember was his sister staring at him. Her pain filled eyes just driving him to stay awake. Yet he couldn't.

"Please." She whispered. He relented as he shifted his head, wincing in pain. "You will always be my brother, _my brother."_ She emphasized as she grabbed his hand. "I will always love you. _Always._ I will always protect you."

"H-how? How can you even love me? I killed mom. I hurt you. I'd be better off dead." He felt a stinging sensation as a tear trickled down his cheek. "I'm just bad luck."

She snuggled into him. "Don't talk like that. You're. My. World."

* **WEEEEEEEEEWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWEEEEEWWWOOOOOOO*** *

Qrow sat up slightly only for Raven to hold him down. "I'm sorry Qrow, I should have done it a lot sooner."

He was confused as he saw red and blue lights flashing outside.

"I'm getting us out of here." She said with a determined tone in her voice as she sat up, looking at the window.

"W-w-what did you do?" He asked hesitantly.

"Called the police." She muttered barely audible compared to the sirens outside.

* * *

"So what made this time worth calling the police over any other time?" Ironwood asked.

Qrow shrugged, "birthday gift?" He let out a deprecating laugh. "You'd have to ask my sister."

Ironwood's eyes turned towards his sister. "It was the first time he openly admitted why he beat Qrow and me. I truly felt that one of the times, he would go overboard. I should have acted sooner."

"You were kids," Ironwood recalled. "You lived with fear, and that fear doesn't make you think clearly in such a controlling environment."

"It worked out… sorta." Qrow shrugged.

Ironwood took out a folder and pulled out one singular sheet of paper. "It says here that you were put into foster. With your estranged uncle, how was that?"

"Better for me," Qrow let out a slow sigh, "not so much for Raven."

"And what happened?" Ironwood asked causing Qrow look down at his feet. "I… she… was…. I…"

Raven leaned in, "I'll explain it."

Ironwood nodded, "We'll wait until your interview."

Qrow inhaled slowly as he took in the air. "Alright, let's jump forward. You served in the military? UN peacekeeping force. Is that right?"

Qrow answered with collected, "Yessir."

"And why did you join?"

Qrow paused as he looked around the room. All eyes were on him. All of them filled with a sense of anxious anticipation. "I… I…"

He paused.

….

"I wanted to die overseas."

With that bomb dropped, everyone stopped breathing, their eyes locked on the man. The only one who seemed unphased was Ironwood. "Then why did you join the military? Why not do it at home."

He felt the whole veneer that he constructed to hide this very fact was coming undone. The grip that he held over everything was loosening up. "Well…. I… uh…"

He cleared his throat. God, their stares were boring right through him. "All I did was hurt people. I… My father despised… said I was the one that killed our mom considering I was only a few minutes after Raven… Ya know, he becomes an alcoholic, ends up in prison. Raven gets beaten and abused just because I existed. What else am I supposed to do? For once in my life, I wanted to stop hurting people."

"Qrow-" Raven warned only to be cut off by Summer.

"Let him finish."

"I… hurt my sister in more ways ever imagined by just merely existing. I dragged her down. I was in a relationship with Summer and was waiting for when my bad luck would strike again. I feared I would turned into my father… I had no joy in my life…. I might as well have been a walking husk of a man, without a soul, ya know? I realized that if I just offed myself, I'd only hurt them even more. So if I died overseas, it would be less hurtful, and maybe, just maybe, I could do some good by helping someone… anyone."

"That clearly didn't happen," Ironwood noted.

"Things don't go according to plan."

"What changed?"

* * *

 ***HIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS***

The bus came to a stop as the door opened up. Still in his military uniform, he stepped off the bus with his rucksack. A quick assessment of the bus stop revealed no one was holding a sign for him. _Taxi back home._ _Great._ He lamented as he pushed by scores of people holding up signs waiting for loved ones.

"Hey, you!" He heard an angry high pitched voice call his name.

He practically jumped out of his skin when he saw an angry silver eyed woman in a police uniform. "Hey… Summer…"

"Not a single phone call!" The police officer shoved him. "Why? Why couldn't you call me?"

He let out a sigh. "I… don't know. I was under a lot of stress. I knew you were going through the academy… and I didn't want to add more stress… I'm sorry."

He felt two small but powerful hands grab him by the waist pulling him closer. "Don't do that again. I wanna stay in the loop, but it's hard when you keep me out of it."

She has a valid point, though why could… should he? What if that loop was just pain and misery and for the woman he loved? Not worth it to him "Come on, let's go. Raven has a surprise for you."

A surprise? What could it be? He followed her toward the parking lot, coming up to her silver '91 Ford Escort. As they hopped in, he could feel the pressure from the military, yet he needed to tell them about his redeployment… and nothing else. _Nope. Nothing else. You're almost out of the woods now_.

After about an hour drive, they finally arrived at Newport where they reached the recently bought home of his sister and her new husband. It wasn't a bad spot, but being beside a river meant high chances of flooding.

She pulled up to the small driveway and set the car in gear. Qrow felt a hand on his shoulder; he turned to see a very concerned Summer. "Qrow, you haven't said anything… are you sure everything is alright?"

 _No. nothing was ever alright._ "Yeah, I'm sorry, I'm just tired, that's all."

"You can talk to me… about anything." Summer silver eyes basically pleaded for him open up.

He gulped, trying to resist the temptation. "Really, Summ, I'm fine."

She shut the engine off and stepped out of the car, as he followed her. Even before they were able to knock, the door **whooshed** open. Taiyang stepped out, put an arm around Qrow, and gave him furious knuckle rub. "Bud! You look so badass with that uniform on."

"I am a badass, thank you very much." He said with a smug look. "I could break your arm in three different spots from here." The look on his face caused Qrow to chuckle as Tai immediately let go. Qrow simply hugged the man, "Good to see you, man."

"Qrow."

He froze as he heard a very distinct voice. He broke away and glanced around Tai to see Raven, her arms crossed; clearly not happy about something.

Qrow blinked as Tai instantly moved out of the way. Something was off about her. He took a few hesitant steps as he reached out.

She reached out as they met in the middle. "I've missed you," Qrow whispered as he embraced his sister.

"I missed you too." She pulled him tighter.

Qrow looked down to notice that something was really off, her belly was large kinda really large. Either she got fat or… She must have read his mind. "You're going to be an uncle."

He partly broke away, holding her by the shoulders. "Uhhhh… what?"

"You. Are. Going. To. Be. An. Uncle." She said slowly with a fond smile, each word punctuated with a sharp poke against his chest.

Qrow tried to process this as he shot a look at Tai, whom was whistling innocently, avoiding eye contact.

"Well shit." Qrow's proud smile stretched from ear to ear, "I'm happy for the both of you!" And for a moment, everything seemed to fade. Hell, even his bad luck seemed to fade with the revelation. After everything that the two had been through… Father, Uncle Crane, School, Tai, and Summer, and the argument when he joined the military, it seemed to all disappear.

Once they were settled in, everyone sat around in the room, the siblings together—they hated to be apart any long length of time. They couldn't stand it. With Qrow's departure and Raven finishing up her last semester at school, it was hard on both of them, the two felt like they were apart for ages. Despite that, it broke his heart when he knew that if he carried out his final mission, it meant better lives for everyone else.

"Guys… I've got some news…." He murmured, which caused the jovial mood in the room to suddenly sink as if hit by a torpedo. "I've been assigned to a peacekeeping force with the U.N."

"Cool." Taiyang cheered, only to be shut down by Summer with a smack to the chest.

"What?" Raven was the most confused. "What does that mean?"

Here goes nothing, "I've been assigned to a peacekeeping force in Bosnia."

"Qrow!" Summer stood up and moved to him; she picked him up by the collar. "Why didn't you tell me! You didn't _think_ you should have told me in the damn car!?"

To be honest, he really didn't have an answer. "I… didn't want to bother you. You were already unhappy with me.. And I… I..."

Oh he hated seeing those silver eyes when they got angry. "God damn it Qrow! When the hell will you learn that it _won't_ bother me. How the hell are we supposed to have a life together if you don't talk to me‽" She let go of his collar as she stormed out.

"I'll uh… go check on her." Tai offered, as he scurried out of the room, leaving the Branwen siblings alone.

Oh he could see that his sister was not happy with him either. "Qrow. What are you doing?"

He shrugged and offered a confused look, but decided not to answer.

She pointed a sharp finger into his chest. "You're pushing her away. Do you not realize what you have?"

"I… uh... don't know…?"

She shook her head in bewilderment. "That woman," she pointed toward the direction she left, "loves you, you fucking moron. Don't you see that? She wants to be apart of your life, and you are showing her nothing but contempt!"

Her eyes shot daggers upon daggers. Yet she was often on point, Raven was almost always right when it came to this stuff. He knew deep down she was right. "Yeah… I'm afraid." He looked away and drummed his fingers on the armrest of the couch.

"Of what?" She asked, her fire dying down.

"Seeing something that she won't like. Raven, I'm fucked up."

"We're fucked up," she corrected.

"I can't open up," Qrow sighed, "I don't want her to know how fucked up I am. What if she pushes me away. Hell, say—by a miracle—I end up with her. Who's to say that I won't end up like Dad?"

"You won't," she stated.

Qrow snapped his head to her. "How? How can you possibly say that?"

"I know so! You are nothing like that man. 'Cause I know you're going to be a kick ass Uncle. I know you're going to be an amazing father one day. As long as we have each other, nothing bad will ever happen. As long as you have Summer, nothing bad will ever happen."

He mulled over those words. He wanted to believe those words. Almost, it gave him hope.

"Qrow," she took his hand, which caused him to look up at her. She placed his hand on top of her rather large belly.

He felt a small, subtle kick.

"You shouldn't be afraid. I'm absolutely _terrified,_ " her voice was unnaturally subdued, "we never had a Mom… I honestly don't know if I can do this. I don't know… I mean… Qrow, do we even know what a mom is?"

With his other hand, she brought him into a hug, resting her head on his shoulder. "You won't. I'll be there. I know you're going to make an awesome mom. Have some confidence in yourself, Rae."

He looked down as she looked up, crimson eyes met crimson.

"My daughter needs a cool ass Uncle. Promise me you'll come back. Promise me won't push us away. Everyone needs you."

Who was he to say no to the only family member he had left? To the only family member that loved him with every fiber of her being. "I promise." He withdrew his hand as he stood up. "I should go talk to Summer." He paused, turning to face his sister, "Rae, thank you so much for everything."

* * *

 ***Modern Day***

"So before I left for deployment… I proposed to Summer Rose," Qrow recounted as he felt Summer squeeze his hand.

"So family ties?" Ironwood asked, "You felt obligated once your sister asked you to return home?"

Qrow nodded slowly, "That and I promised that I would marry Summer once I got home."

"Did it help?"

"It did, I wouldn't have survived in Bosnia."

"So let's talk about your assignment. What were you doing in Bosnia?"

* * *

 **Gradiška- Border Town in Bosnia and Croatia**

The lush green hills of a beautiful countryside oozed of oil, fire, and blood as the four armored vehicles zoomed by on the highway, passing scores of burnt out vehicles and decaying bodies. Qrow watched from the out the video as the Humvee as they approached their objective, the small village of Gradiška.

The town was on the border between the self-proclaimed Bosnian-Serb Republic and the Croatian-Serb Republic. This was their last stop on their peacekeeping mission. The higher ups had determined that civilians, both Serbs and Croats should be evacuated before the new republic launched its major offensive in the area to drive Serbs out of Croatia and establish a foothold in Bosnia. Operation Arrowhead.

In theory, they should have the protection of both Croatia—which they always guaranteed—and the Serbs. However, the Serbs were not a united front, and many militias—especially on the Bosnian side of the border—loved to take potshots at what they saw as invading fascists. Thankfully, the Serb army was much more professional and controlled.

The white painted infantry fighting vehicle zoomed across the bridge over the Sava River, a rather stunning sight if it weren't for the war wreckages of vehicles along the bridge and embankments.

"Alright boys," his commanding, officer Lieutenant Ironwood, yelled over the roar of the engine, "we move in ten minutes. You know the deal. Door by door, warn the civilians, help the old and young into the trucks and load back in. Keep your head down. You know how trigger happy the militias are."

The convoy stopped in the collection of tightly packed huts. The red light by the back of the hatch turned green as the vehicle stopped, the hatch lowered as six soldiers—including Qrow—filed out in a protective formation. He scanned the huts with his M39 enhanced marksman scope as he watched for any signs of combatants through the windows.

"Move it," Ironwood ordered.

The green camouflaged, white-helmeted troops broke of into squads of three as formed up. "Branwen! Radcliffe! You're on me!"

He hustled over towards his commanding officer with Radcliffe. "Ready up we have a few huts about half a click from here. Qrow, you're on point."

Qrow nodded and led the two other soldiers. They stuck close to the walls of the house as the other soldiers checked door by door. After five hundred meters of sprinting, they came out of the town and came across a dirt road that through rolling farm fields. Qrow took a knee and held up a fist, causing the other soldiers to drop to their knees as he looked through the scope.

"What do you have," Ironwood asked.

He peeked through the scope again looking any sign of life yet he found nothing. No signs of militia or civilians. "I got zero activity."

" _Sir we aren't getting any activity here. We found about ten people, all elderly and in basements,"_ Ironwood's radio reported.

He pulled out his own radio, "Got it, keep searching. We're going to search a few huts half a click, set up a defensive perimeter around the town until we're done."

" _Copy that, sir."_

Ironwood nodded towards Qrow, "let's move it."

The three soldiers sprinted up the clearing and made sure to keep their heads down low. Despite their caution, Qrow felt distinctly vulnerable and exposed with a white-helmet in a sea of green which only gave him more urgency. _Not taking a bullet today. Not taking a bullet today. Not taking a bullet today_ , he mentally chanted as he huffed it up the hill.

Soon enough, he made it to the top of the hill and what he saw, he would never be able to forget. Bodies. Bodies of men, women, and children were strewn all about. The stench was so overwhelming that it made Radcliffe heave up his breakfast content.

"Jesus Christ…" Qrow muttered under his breath as he stepped over several bodies. He turned to his superior officer, "We need to check for survivors."

"There aren't any survivors; we need to go," Radcliffe protested, "we need to go before whoever did this shows up."

"We're here to help civilians, if there is anyone alive, we need to help them," Qrow countered. With that, Qrow found a cobblestone cottage which he tried to force his way through yet the door gave partly.

"Radcliffe, help him," Ironwood ordered.

The soldiers huffed in contempt as they both tried to ram the door down. After about the sixth attempt, the door crashed down. Qrow flew against the floor, his eyes looking into a pair of glazed over dead eyes of a little girl prompting him to recoil back.

"Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit," he cursed as he took in the grisly scene of the hut, filled with the bodies of men, women, children, and elderly.

"This is so fucked," Radcliffe muttered as turned away, dry heaving.

 ***Vruuuuuuuuuuuuuum Vruuuuuuuuuuuummmm Vruuuuuuuuuuuuuum***

A distant rumble vibrated the ground. Ironwood looked to Qrow who nodded. He picked up his rifle, aiming it off in the distance.

"Shit. Ironwood we've got a company of T-72s on the ridgeline," Qrow called. Suddenly the ridgeline lit up up as forty six heavily armed main-battle tanks opened up, shelling the town.

"Qrow the town! What do you see," Ironwood demanded. He quickly shifted his aim back down to the town. The four Bradley's were unharmed, they seemed to be just warning shots. The tanks opened fire with another salvo. He turned to Qrow and Radcliffe

"We need to go now. We can swim across that river."

Qrow watched from the corner of his eyes to see Radcliffe and slowly raised his hands as he whispered, "sir, behind you." Ironwood turned around to see a group of fifteen guerilla fighters with AKs pointed right at them.

"SERENDER," one of them called out in a heavily accented voice.

"What do we do, sir?" Qrow asked realizing that if he raised his rifle, he would be gunned down right at the spot.

"We can't take them. Too many," Radcliffe muttered under his breath. It wasn't a good spot to be in, but the order was given.

"We surrender," Ironwood lowered his M16 followed by Radcliffe and Qrow.

Suddenly a man in guerilla green camouflage fatigues with a red beret step through the group of soldiers, "American, ya?"

"Yes," Ironwood answered calmly.

"Order the rest of them to surrender."

"Fine." Ironwood relented as he picked up his radio, "You guys need…"

He paused. The man didn't like that, as his confident smile slowly faded away. The man simply walked up to the three of them, giving each one of them a good look over. His hand moved to his holster as he took out his M9 pressing it up against Radcliffe's head.

"RETREAT NOW! GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" He screamed into the radio.

 ***BANG***

The M9 went off, dropping Radcliffe into the ground, blood seeping out of the bullet hole in his head.

 _Bye Summer. Bye Raven. Bye Tai._ For once, he wanted to live, he wanted to come back. He wanted to get married to the girl he loved. He wanted to see his sister again. He wanted to be the coolest Uncle he could ever be. The Beret walked over to him with a smug smile as he pointed the gun at Qrow's head.

The man made his peace. This what he wanted, yet he in reality, he didn't want to die. He made a promise that he wanted, no… _needed_ , to keep.

 ***CLICK***

The man grunted as he pulled the trigger again ***CLICK***

 ***CLICK*** * **CLICK* *CLICK* *CLICK***

"Heh…" He chuckled with a sinister smile, "God smiles upon you. Though you'll find out you're in hell now, my American friend."

The militia leader lifted up his boot and smashed it down on his leg with a sickening **pop**. White hot lances of pain coursed through his body as he fell to the ground and let out a fierce cry of pain. Qrow could barely even register what was happening when he felt the sickening **pop** in his other leg. His fingernails dug into the dirt "YOU SADISTIC FUCK!" He could hear his commanding officer exclaimed.

"Uzmi ih," the commanding officer ordered.

Two armed soldiers hoisted Qrow up, his legs writhing in pain. Another soldier approached with a black hood, draping it over his head. With that, the world turned to darkness as he was dragged through the gravel. He bit down as hard as he could as his legs dangled behind him, bumping into rocks and potholes. The pain was too much to bear as he started to slip in and out of consciousness.

"This will teach you not to invade our land, you Croat loving piss."

* * *

 **Omarska**

In a small town in Northern Bosnia and Herzegovina, was a quaint little town with a dark, dark history. Before the break of Yugoslavia and during World War 2, it was the sight of a massacre of Bosnian Serb civilians. Now, the Serbs turned it into a camp; owing allegiance to its dark past or a very depraved sense of humor.

He could hear people talk around him as he floated in darkness.

"Qrow, buddy, count to one hundred." Odd, but he won't ignore his commanding officer.

1… 2… 3… 4… 5… 6… 7… 8… 9… 10…

 ***SNAP***

More unbearable pain.

 ***SNAP***

Incredible searing pain shot throughout his body as he writhed on the cold, damp, concrete surface "Qrow, you need to stay hold still." He felt hands around his ankles and wrists.

Bright light blinded him as the white hood was removed. Ironwood stared down, holding him down as he writhed. "We just set your legs. If you keep moving around, you might dislocate the bones again. We'd have to reset them again."

Two panic filled eyes blinked as he nodded. He bit down on his bottom lip and tried his best to control himself—to resist the pain. After he hyperventilated for several minutes, he felt the sweat on his forehead being wiped. "You're doing good, Qrow."

A few more minutes, his breathing started to regulate to the point where he could talk. "Wwwwwheeeeerrrrrreeeeee?" He managed to moan.

"You're in hell, my American friend." One prisoner said.

Ironwood shot him daggers before turning his gaze to the underling. "Omarska."

* * *

 ***Modern Day***

He remembered it all, recounted all of it. The beatings, the starvation, sense deprivation, electrocutions, and exposure... they were just some of the things that he experienced at the hands of the briefly independent Republika Srpska, a self-proclaimed Bosnian Serbian country.

He remembered all of it.

"So what was the hardest experience, if you don't mind me asking?" Ironwood asked

* * *

 **Ormarska**

Another beautiful day at Omarska…. or it would be if the hut weren't freezing in the dead of winter. It would be much, much, much better if the prisoners were given more than two pairs of clothing, one blanket (covered in lice, mind you), and food that did not consist of hard bread and watery, celery soup.

Six months in this hell hole. Six. Months. Thankfully, the guards didn't outright kill them. They knew killing UN soldiers, especially Americans would result in some kind of devastating counter-response.

So thankfully, they were placed in the actual camp complex. Though it didn't mean they were oblivious to what the enemy was doing here. Day by day, they pull out four or five people, line them up against what the Serbs called the "The Happy Red Wall," a sick name for the red brick wall that they used for firing squads.

 ***SWOOSH***

Two armed guards strode into the hut, "Branwen and Ironwood." The two men stood up weakened legs. With AKs pushed up against their backs, they were forced out of the hut with harsh shoves. The sun just barely peeked over the snow-covered valley as the camp was already at work.

From behind barbed wire fences, inmates were forced to dig holes, only to refill them. They repeated the process until midday, not risking beatings, they dared not take breaks. Two guards pushed out gates as the two were shoved down a long barbed wire pathway to the center of the camp.

 _No. No. No._

Another gate with two guards above separated the two UN soldiers with the dreaded "Happy Red Wall." Before the gate was opened, four prisoners were lined up against the wall. The four Bosnians that actually helped the two Americans get acclimated to camp life.

Behind each prisoner was a soldier armed with AKs. They cocked back the bolt with unified, metallic clank.

"Spreman," The red beret man— the same one that captured Qrow and Ironwood—shouted at the top of his lungs. In unison, the soldiers shouldered their weapons, pointing them at the prisoner's back.

"Gađati," the officer ordered causing the men to aim down their sights.

"Pucati!" The officer dropped his hand. Four AKs opened fire and sprayed the backs the of the prisoners as they danced to the ripping effects of the bullets The officer pulled out an M9—the same one pointed at Qrow's head—and emptied a round into each corpse. The officer gave a wave of the hand and four prisoners jogged over to drag the bodies away.

The gates opened as the two soldiers shoved them over. "Wall, gentlemen," the officer said in a particularly jovial spirit.

"You can't do this!" Ironwood protested "It's against the Geneva Conventions!"

"You're in the hands of Serb Volunteer Guard, not the Serbian military, your rules mean nothing. Against the wall. Now." He ordered.

Qrow turned to face the wall as he rested his head up against the blood-soaked bricks. If he was going to die; he would do it a man. He would not be a coward this day. Ironwood, however, resisted though to the point where he was beaten with wooden sticks.

"Ironwood," Qrow called out causing his commanding officer to look at Branwen, "not like this."

Instantly, Ironwood understood and straightened himself up and faced the wall. "It's been a pleasure, Qrow."

"See ya up there," Qrow whispered with a certain, calm, collected voice of a man knowing he was going to die.

He could hear the soldiers line up behind them, reloading their rifles.

"Spreman!"

The soldiers snapped to attention as they shouldered their weapons.

Qrow's heart slowed down as he inhaled slowly.

"Gađati," they aimed down their sights.

 _God. Please let them know I loved them._ He closed his eyes

"Pucati!"

Suddenly the rifles opened fire, rounds smashing into the bricks above their head. Qrow could feel chunks of brick falling into his hair and pelting his face until the firing ceased. He sucked inhaled sharply, breathing the air of life. "Remember." The Red beret walked over to them, "Remember what you saw this day. What you've seen here. We won't stop until they are all dead."

The man, with lightning speed, grabbed Ironwood's arm and lifted it up to the bricks where the bullets impacted the wall. "Remember the feeling." He whispered sinisterly. "You won't forget it, ya?"

"I won't," Ironwood said in a trembling voice.

The man nodded, happy with the response. "Good," He removed a machete from its sheath and with one clean swing, lopped off Ironwood's hand causing the man let out a blood-curdling scream as he dropped to the ground, clutching his bloody stump. "Now, you will never forget."

"Patch him up, drive them three miles out and drop them off. We're done here." He ordered the firing squad.

* * *

 ***Modern Day***

He remembered the one thing that kept him going. The one forced him to survive, what got him to where he is now. The women sitting beside him. On his left side, his wife, Summer. On the right, his sister, Raven.

"That's how we came to know Arkan and his so-called "Tigers," Qrow finished, "later, he was put on trial for crimes against humanity, but was assassinated before sentencing."

He shrugged as everyone's jaws dropped, their eyes went from Ironwood's gloved hand to Qrow. The only one unphased was Ironwood.

"So you made it out of the camp relatively fine. When you got home, did you still have those thoughts of ending it?" Ironwood pushed forward.

"When you lived the life, I have. You don't put any of that behind you. That sticks with you 'till you die. It's true. I wanted to die when I joined the military; I was ready to do it, too. But you know, sometimes when you are alone, it just takes a person to punch you in the face and say that you matter," Qrow stated resolutely, "I know I'm damaged, I try to hide it… I mean heck who wouldn't? I try to pretend it doesn't exist, but there are some days when it's hard, real damn hard. All I need to do is to look at my wife, my kid, my sister, my bro-in-law, and it just gives me hope that maybe… just maybe… I'm not just bad luck. Despite all the battles and wars I fought, it's all worth it." With that, Ironwood hit the end record button.

"What the hell is the point of this," Tai mumbled depressingly.

Ironwood let out a chuckle, "all of that information establishes Qrow's character. It demonstrates that even with all the wrong, he knows what good and bad. And that kind of story with a jury? They'll eat it right up."

Qrow stood up, "If you'll excuse me, I need to get some air."

Ironwood nodded, "Take as much as you need."

And with that, Qrow was out of the room leaving everyone rather in shock. "R-R-Rae…" Summer asked in a raspy voice.

Crimson eyes locked with silver eyes as she gave her friend a questioning look.

"Did you know… did you know that he wanted to end it?" She asked with pleading, mournful eyes.

The raven-haired woman shook her head. "No… I knew he was rather distant, but I didn't know…. I… I wish I had." She felt her husband rubbing her shoulder. "I wish I had…" She repeated distantly.

Summer darted out of the room, heart aching with lover's bottomless pit. She found Qrow by a water fountain, splashing some water over his face. She zoomed right into him, nearly knocking him down, getting both of them slightly wet. "H-hey." He embraced her.

"Qrow…. I'm…. I'm so fucking sorry." God damn it, when Summer swore, she was deadly serious. "I didn't know…. I don't know what I'd do without you." She brought her hand up to his cheek, making him look down at her. "You're are my world."

He couldn't help but to smile, "Thank you, Summer... for giving me hope." He looked up to see Raven and Tai approaching. He gestured them over. "Thank you, Rae, for saving my life. She brought her over into the hug. Yet Tai was excluded from the hug, which Qrow whistled for him to join, "Come in here, you ninny." Once Tai was in the hug, he said, "And thanks for watching over these two while I was gone."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **So this chapter was kind of heavy. Before we get into I want to make a disclaimer.**

 **By no means am I asserting that all people from one country is inherently evil or divinely good. The atrocities committed in the breakup Yugoslavia break up were committed on both sides, it is an unfortunate consequence of ethnic tension and civil wars. By no means am I singling out one side. Also, what happened was based off first-hand accounts of prisoners detained and a small event in which U.N. personnel were captured around the same time as Operation Arrowhead. I'm sure more diligent research would have yielded more information, but I didn't feel sifting through primary sources…. That can be rather extreme at times lol.**

 **Now that the disclaimer of the chapter is over, we can dig right in.**

 **Biggest question is why? How could anyone go through that? How would that shape that mentality? Why would Qrow want to end it?**

 **The thinking is that while Qrow's youth to young adult age. That mentality would only really come you are truly broken and believe that your existence only causes pain to others. Now you might be able to say, "Wait, Sauron! Wouldn't Raven catch on? And try to build him back up?"**

 **Normally yes, however, if you** _ **know**_ **being depressed makes other depressed, don't you want to hide? To make things look like they're fine. I'm not one to say, people react differently, but I feel that Qrow would hide his pain.**

 **Now we turn to alcoholism. "Why doesn't Qrow get drunk?" Well if he becomes an alcoholic, wouldn't that cause pain to the people he loves, something he desperately wants to avoid. So he hatches his idea. Even though people try to reach out to him, he is so desperately broken, that it goes over him, for one reason or another, pity, kindness, love, all this other stuff. He wants to keep those feelings away to a certain extent.**

 **Yet it doesn't take much to put the pieces together as Raven did. A simple promise bridges the gap between his shattered self and with those around him. It wasn't just the promise itself, but the promise of a future with him specifically in it. That when it clicked. Depression is a tricky thing. You might be swirling down to the point that you don't see people trying to drag you out. You often resist and push back yet you want someone to reach out to.**

 **So just some thoughts and stuff. Though keep in mind that when Ironwood said that the jury would eat this stuff up, it can also be a double edge sword, remember that.**

 **A big thank you for SecretelySilentEvil and A Random Commie for helping a great deal with editing!**

 **Here's a question, what did you guys think of the chapter? What do you think of Qrow's experience? Have questions, thoughts, reactions, predictions, any and all, let me know!**

 **REEEEEVIEWS!**

 **Tronmaster5704: Hey buddy! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! And Idk about Neptune? I think that was a compliment? So thanks… maybe?**

 **Killkill123100: I'm awake! I PROMISE! Next chapter is out! Now time to get distracted with other things xD**

 **Couldrenblock: Thanks buddy! I felt like over phone would have been the most realistic way of dealing with someone like Neptune. Definitely not in person… Alright…. I hope you were able to carry all the weight… and I hope you're ready for the next one.**

 **GrimmAbyss: Uhhh thanks?**

 **Mikainox: My friend! Thanks for the review! Normally, I wouldn't be happy that you were getting choked up, but I know I'm doing my job, unfortunately. We can ride this out together, I promise!**

 **King Kaiju VI: I had a lot of fun writing white-knight, and I think I got the page on discord set up for it.**

 **A Random Commie: Yeah man! Screw Neptune!**

 **Tondori: I hope I delivered. As for shattered, it is still in the planning phase. Major restructuring is happening.**

 **Big Bad Beowolf: I won't lie, ending it that way made me smile to myself. Hopefully, this chapter met the anticipation.**


	36. Chapter 36: The Mask We Adorn

**CHAPTER 36: The Mask We Adorn**

* * *

 **A/N: This chapter contains abuse, sexual abuse, and alcoholism. You have been warned.**

* * *

 _Sooooo... Raven Branwen... a very dear, dear friend of mine. Hell, I'd say mother. See here's the thing, she's one tough cookie. That woman has one tough exterior, everything about her is extreme._

 _That woman has been through some—pardon my language—shit that we could barely even understand. What she grew up in, she needed to be extreme, she needed to develop her resilient scales, her mask. She had to hide her pain, misery and make the best out of what she could, for the sake of her twin._

 _Yet even then, there are always chinks in the armor._

* * *

The four enjoyed their embrace, as they realized that one of their own was deeply wounded.

"Raven," Qrow nodded down the hallway, "I think it's your time."

The glanced down the hallway before shifting her gaze back to her brother, "God, you make it sound like he's the Grim Reaper," she joked.

Raven turned to the others, "You guys ready?"

The other two nodded, "Right," Raven muttered under her breath as she walked down the hallway, flanked by her brother.

"Just be honest," he advised, "don't hold anything back and everything will be fine."

"I hope you know we're going to have a very long talk after all of this is done."

It was no easy tasking trying to relieve one's memory. More so, memories that should have been forgotten. The walk down the hallway felt like an eternity as Raven ran the story through her mind; she focused on what events she might be asked.

"You got this." Summer urged her.

"Nothing to worry about," her husband reassured her.

Upon reaching the office, Ironwood gestured for them to retake their seats. As they sat down, Ironwood pulled out another file and placed it in front of him. With a click, he was ready to start. "You ready?" He asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Raven sighed.

 ***CLICK***

"Dr. Ironwood interviewing Raven Branwen. So, is it true you're the sister of Qrow Branwen?" He asked even though he already knew the answer.

"I am."

"So can you describe, in your own words, what life was like when you were growing up?"

"You mean, 'how shitty was home?'" Her voice was filled with bitterness.

"Yes, I suppose." Ironwood pushed.

She 'hmphed' in response, "Yeah. it wasn't easy having to raise Qrow while growing up, but I managed to the best of my abilities."

* * *

 **Qrow and Raven 8 years old**

 _Ramen… again…_ Raven lamented as she watched the water boil with Qrow sat on a bar stool. "Sorry, Qrow. Look's like we're having Ramen again." She said dejectedly as she stirred the large pot full of ramen, the boiling water simmered as she stirred the noodles. Unappetizing plastic noodles, it made her want to gag.

The boy simply shrugged from his stool, "I don't mind." He tried to remain cheerful for the both of them.

She let out a short chortle, "Come on… I know that's a lie." She shot him a knowing smirk.

With a slightly embarrassed look on his face, he sank into his arm and rested his chin on his arms. "Yeah. I don't like plastic."

She snapped her fingers, "Well, why don't we make them less garbagey." She turned the stove off.

"What are you goin' to do?" He popped his head up with raised eyebrows.

"Nothing," she said as she stooped down as she pulled a hair clip from her ponytail which caused her hair to cascade down her back. With her tongue stuck out, she inserted the bobby pin into the lock as she pressed her ear up against the door.

"You aren't supposed to be in there, Rae!" Qrow protested, "Dad isn't going to be happy!"

"Shhh Qrow."

She fiddled it around until she heard a click. A smile grew on her face as she opened up the door and rummaged through the pantry. "That'll do," She muttered, her eyes transfixed on the jar of pasta sauce. With jar in hand, she closed the door and walked over to the counter placing the jar in front of Qrow.

"You can't! He'll find out!" he protested.

She rolled her eyes as she walked over to the pot and drained the water from the noodles. "And, I'll deal with it." She countered, "It's only one jar. He's got like four in there; he isn't going to miss one."

She grabbed two plates and dished out the noodles, making sure that Qrow got an extra serving. With the jar opened, she poured the sauce on, adding some salt and pepper. "Here you, go." She handed him the plate and sat beside him. "The best, if I dare say so."

He took a bite, "Definitely better than plastic."

She smirked as she tried to hide her resentment. The fact that they had to live under such crappy conditions made her angry. Very angry. Yet she didn't want it to show for Qrow's sake. No… the only thing that made living in this hell remotely worth it was indeed her brother.

"Well of course it is." She gave him a knuckle rub, "I made it."

After the two had dinner, Qrow moved to the living room while Raven washed the dishes.

 ***SLAM***

A car door was slammed shut.

"Here it goes…" She muttered to herself as she put the plate and sponge down. She craned her neck out to see Qrow looking back at her.

"Go upstairs. I got it." He wanted to protest; she saw it in his eyes, "Qrow. Go." There was no room for negotiation in her voice. Once she heard his footsteps upstairs, she exhaled, preparing for a rather typical conversation with her father. With a sense of dread, she watched as the door opened.

As usual, her father stalked in with a look of irritability. The tall, slender man's red, lifeless eyes met with Raven's more vibrant, youthful eyes. "What are you doing?" He asked in a spite-filled tone.

"Just had dinner." She answered neutrally as she stood her ground.

The man stalked into the kitchen; his eyes transfixed on the sink and plates. He violently jerked around to glare down at his daughter, "Where's my plate?" His voice dropped lower, darker. She didn't answer. What was she going to say? Go fuck yourself? How she would love to say if she wouldn't be beaten for such "lack of respect."

"So… let me get this straight…." He said as he walked over to the sink and took one of the plates into his hands. "You eat _my_ food," he turned to his eight-year-old daughter, "in _my_ kitchen. Without _my_ permission, and you don't even bother to make me anything? Then you leave a mess in _my_ kitchen and don't even bother to clean it up?"

"I was in the middle-"

 ***SMACK***

She blinked away the tear caused by the sudden blow. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of crying. "You don't get to back talk me."

 _Oh yeah?_ She stared up at him with a defiant glare, "I was in the middle of cleaning up before you showed up."

 ***SMACK***

"Show me some damn _respect!"_ He yelled as she bowed her head in submission.

"I'm sorry, _father._ "

 ***CRASH***

He dropped the ceramic plate on the ground causing it to shatter. "Clean that up. Now." He brushed past her, "I expect dinner in an hour."

Her two angry crimson eyes flashed with fire as she watched her father turn to face her, "And if I catch the pantry open again, I'll break your wrists. You stole that food. My children will not be thieving degenerates."

As he left the kitchen; she let out a defeated sigh. _At least he didn't use the belt,_ she thought to herself as she grabbed the dustpan and broom. Yet a bubble of resentment bubbled up in her mind.

 _You didn't earn that food?_ You earn things. If it came from her father, it was usually a beating and usually with the belt. Sometimes it got more violent, yet Raven took the brunt of it, thankfully. Yet how did Raven and Qrow earn any of this?

He was a cruel man, he didn't earn the right to be called 'Dad,' Hell, how the heck did he earn the right to become a father. He clearly didn't deserve it. _Best keep that to yourself._ She thought as swept the floor.

"What the hell did I say!" She looked up to see her father watching her with angry eyes, "I want dinner now."

"Sorry…" Raven feigned submission, "I was cleaning up my mess." Though in her heart, she kept track of reality. _Not my mess. Not my mess. Not my mess._

* * *

Raven chuckled, "You if one thing could be said about our father, he would have been a good Nazi. The bastard didn't give us food, we had to work for it, and he kept tabs on it."

"Why would you compare your father to a Nazi?" Ironwood asked in a fascinated voice.

"Are you familiar with Dachau?" Raven asked as she crossed her arms.

Ironwood nodded, "I am, but for the record, could you please explain?"

"Dachau was one of the more notorious concentration camps in Nazi Germany. As a sick joke, they placed a slogan at the front of the camp saying 'Arbeit Macht Frei,' which translates to 'Work sets you free.' Pretty sick if you ask me, but it applied to the both us. If we made ourselves useful, we got fed and we weren't beaten as much. If he thought we were lazy or hell, if he were bored, he'd beat us just for the joy of it. Sounds pretty sadistic to me."

"So your father was abusive?" Ironwood asked.

"An understatement," she countered.

"And how did that affect you?"

Deep in thought, she tapped her chin in thought while leaning back in her chair. _How wouldn't it?_ She thought to herself. The beatings, the shouting, the swearing, the neglect, the lack of human compassion, all of it was enough to break someone, anyone, especially kids.

"It makes you angry." She said in a hushed voice, "You start to think 'what did I do to deserve this?'" She turned to Qrow, "Now I wasn't angry at Qrow, far from it, he was my only connection to my humanity,"

She turned back to Ironwood, "Yet after years and years of being told that you're a bitch, You're a lazy sack of shit, and everything else under the sun, while being beat, that really messes with you." She shook her head in remembrance, "I hated my father, I hated myself for watching Qrow get hurt and feeling utterly powerless. I hated everyone who had normal, "peachy" lives. Why should I bother with them? My sole focus was on making sure Qrow and I got out of that house, the world be damned."

"Was foster care any better?"

Dead silence as the adults shifted uncomfortably. The only who didn't budge was Raven who sat there like a stone statue. There was a pause.

"No."

* * *

Three weeks at Uncle Crane's new home was unsettling, to say the least. The man looked like her father, yet was a bit shorter, sporting a goatee, and the trademark crimson eyes. She paced back and forth in the room she shared with Qrow. She refused the offer of her own room, which Qrow didn't protest. He was under her protection, not his.

"Rae, you can relax. He isn't anything like dad." Qrow sat up.

That _may_ or _may not_ be true, but she wouldn't let her guard down. "He's just waiting for us to crack." She muttered under her breath.

"Can you please just relax?" Qrow stood up, reached out with his hand, and took her by the wrist. "We're in a new town. New people, a new _life._ "

 _Maybe he's right._ She stopped, her gaze drifted upward. "New people?" She asked hesitantly.

"Yeah… that girl… uhhh… I think Summer was her name."

She 'hmphed' in response. "Yeah…. She tried to talk to me the past couple of days." She pulled away from her brother, "I don't like her."

"She's nice." Qrow defended her in a shy voice.

"She's a stranger."

"I saw you talking to that blonde boy." Qrow countered.

"I told him to screw off." She smirked. "Tai is just an idiot." Yet, her smirk fell off. "We don't need others, we just need each other."

 ***KNOCK KNOCK***

"May I come in?" The sweet, kind voice of Uncle Crane came in.

"Yeah." Raven crossed her arms as she moved to the front of Qrow to shield him if anything were to happen.

Crane walked in with a camera in hand. He smiled as he lifted up the camera.

 ***CLICK***

"What are you doing?" Raven growled.

The man shrugged with a warm, innocent smile, "Taking a picture."

"Why?" Raven demanded, her frown grew larger.

His smile only became more sincere. "Because I want us to remember our first movie night out as a family."

 _Movie what now?_

"A movie night?" She asked hesitantly which seemed to amuse the man.

"You know, the movies, like the theatre. My treat."

She could feel Qrow's hand on her shoulder causing her relax her somewhat. "We'd love to go." He spoke for them.

"Qrow-" She warned her brother.

The man crouched down to be eye level with Raven who did not nor could not back down, "I get it." He said sincerely, "My brother wasn't the kindest father. Trust me, he wasn't the kindest brother to me. But you're here now, with family. I will show you the love that my brother should have gave you."

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, unwilling to believe him.

Qrow leaned in, "Please, Rae, just ease up."

She exhaled as she shook her head. "Fine." _Maybe Qrow is right._

"Now, can I get a smile?" He smiled.

Her red eyes looked around the room, alas she couldn't stand the spotlight and relented. Her frown lightened up and turned up ever so slightly until she had a modest smile.

 ***SNAP***

"You look so beautiful when you smile."

 ***SNAP***

* * *

 ***Modern Day***

"This Uncle Crane, he doesn't seem to be a bad guy. He seemed to want you to be happy." Ironwood noted cautiously. Apparently, he wasn't cautious enough.

"That man," Raven voice dropped down into something dark, "was a predator. A ruthless, God-forsaken predator."

"What do you mean?"

"He was an animal. A very smart animal. He waited and was patient just like a wolf. He wanted us… me… feel comfortable, to let our guard down. That's when he attacked."

"What do you mean?"

* * *

Qrow and Raven 12 Years Old

A good six months had passed with Raven feeling more relaxed, more at ease. Uncle Crane seemed to be a nice enough guy. He seemed to actually care about Qrow and her. He never yelled at them, never beat them, never did anything to upset them.

He was the complete opposite of their father. The only thing that was just unusual was that he enjoyed his photos and especially forbid them from going down the basement. For this kind of treatment, she easily agreed to the rule.

One night, they sat around the kitchen table eating their dinner. The room was comfortably silent as they dug into their dinners. Even (insert time frame), food was a delicacy. "Hey Qrow, you want to make some money?"

He instantly perked up, "Sure!"

"Mrs. O'Donald wanted to know if you could help her cut her grass? She said she'd pay twenty bucks."

That was a lot of money which kind of bummed her a bit. "Don't worry, sis." He said with a cheerful tone, "I'll share."

"No need." Crane wiped his mouth with a napkin, "Raven can help around the house, if she doesn't mind, of course. I'll pay."

Raven simply nodded, accepting the offer.

With that, they finished their meals. Qrow headed out the front door as she sat in the kitchen. She already started to miss Qrow. It was bad enough that the school broke the two up, but being separated from him scared her. "Relax, Raven." Crane went to the fridge pulling out a pitcher. "He'll be back."

She drummed her fingers in anticipation as she looked out the window. "Yeah…" She exhaled sadly.

"Here…" She turned to look at the glass in front of her. "This should make you happy."

It was a rather generous tall glass of grape juice. She picked it up, took a quick swig seeing that Crane did the same. It was really sweet. It was so sweet that she decided to down the entire cup.

Her uncle sat in front of her, hand on top of his other. "You know, you look just like your mother."

She blinked, _she didn't know her mother._ There were never pictures of her in the household. "I… I didn't know her."

"She was a stunning woman." Crane said with a fond memory. "Gorgeous beyond belief."

Something was off…. She felt dizzy, almost lightheaded. "I… erm… I… don't feel so good..."

"She shouldn't have been mine. You know that? I bet your father told you that." His voice became darker. "She was _mine._ That bastard stole her from me."

She felt sick, sick to her stomach. She stood up, clutching her stomach only to lose her footing causing her to collapse to the ground with painful *thud*

She could see her uncle with that camera. That camera pointed right down at her.

"You're so beautiful." He said sweetly. "You look just like her."

"GOD DAMN IT! SMILE!"

Someone was crying, and it made her sad, sad enough for her to start crying.

"GOD DAMN IT! STOP!"

A constant throb pulsed in her head causing two crimson eyes opened. The room was dark, really dark. Hearing shuffling behind her, she lifted herself up to reveal that she wasn't wearing her usual black sweater and jeans. Now she was wearing her undershirt and shorts which startled her. It made her sick to the stomach, sick to the bone.

"Raven…?" She turned her head to see Qrow by her bed. "A-a-are you alright?"

She looked herself over one more time before taking a look at her brother. That's when he saw the bruises around his eyes. "I shouldn't have left Raven, I shouldn't have…. I'm soo sorry."

It didn't make sense, none of this made sense. She cupped her hand around Qrow's cheek. "What happened?" She demanded to know, tossing aside her confusion.

Qrow's eyes brimmed with tears as he wrapped his arms around her. "I… I was sent back when it started to rain. When I came in….." He shook violently while tears cascaded down his cheeks, "H-h-h-e was on top of you," He stuttered, "taking pictures… You were…. Awake and I called out to you… but you didn't say anything. You just stared at the ceiling. You didn't say anything… you… I'm so sorry! You were crying! I just…."

Her muscles tensed up. She couldn't remember any of this which caused her to lose all track of reality. Her mind was just a black void, the last thing she really remembered was her uncle saying _You look just like your mother._

She pushed Qrow away immediately as she threw up on the ground. She felt cold, absolutely frozen. Just devoid of any warmth at all.

 _You look just your mother._ She threw up again.

And again.

Until there was nothing to come out as she rolled over to her side. "I'm sooooo sorry," She heard Qrow repeat every few seconds. "He started to hit you when you didn't look at him…." His voice trembled. "When I told him to stop… He hit me… said that if I told anyone, he'd kill you."

 _Anger._

 _Anger._

 _Sorrow._

 _Stupidity._

She grabbed the pillow on her bed, buried her face into her pillow as she let out a pained muffled shriek. She screamed and screamed unable to see her crying brother. In some sick way, she hoped that the pillow would be enough suffocate her.

* * *

 ***Modern Day***

She was exhausted, mentally and physically exhausted from remembering that. Remembering all of that. She still remembered the pictures. "We can stop, if you want." Ironwood offered.

Tai's jaw practically dropped to the ground, "Rae…. God… I didn't… God... I'm so sorry."

She offered a weak smile, "It's fine."

"It's not fine!" Her husband stood up only to be yanked back down by his wife. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"What was I going to say?" She grew angry, "Yeah, hi, my uncle liked to drug me and take photos of me because I look like a woman that I never met? That's a great first impression."

Tai's eyes just stared at his wife in complete and utter amazement. It took him a few moments to recover, "No, that isn't what I meant…"

"There are just somethings you can't talk about, Tai." Raven shut down the conversation. Her gaze returned by to Ironwood who lightly cleared his throat.

"So did you ever get out?"

"The Rose family." Raven answered looking over at her friend, "They got us out of it."

"Did you tell them?" Ironwood asked.

"Not exactly…"

* * *

 **Raven and Qrow- 8 months with Uncle Crane**

It was during a snowstorm. The two trudged through the icy cold wind. She gripped Qrow's hand tightly, she didn't want to lose him in this god forsaken snow storm. After two miles of walking, they reached the Rose residence. On the front porch waited Raven and Qrow's new friend and confidant, Summer Rose wrapped tightly in her white cloak.

 ***THUD***

Once they reached the fence, Qrow collapsed to the ground in sheer exhaustion. Raven dropped down, "Qrow. Come on… A few more feet."

"I can't….." He croaked in better haggard breaths, "I…. can't…. I….. can't….. I… can't."

Thankfully, Summer ran out to the snow, "Help me lift him up." Raven said as pulled him up. Both girls took one arm and draped over their shoulders and helped him up to the porch.

"Hang in there, Qrow." Summer urged.

"Almost…." Raven panted as her legs became more and more exhausted and strained.

Upon reaching the porch, they put Qrow down. Once he was down, her legs gave out as she fell on the hardwood. Who knew something so hard felt so comfortable compared to trudging through the snow? "Now of all days?!" Summer protested as she plopped down beside Raven.

The black-haired girl propped herself up on her elbows. "It was bad. Real bad." She inhaled sharply as she lowered her hood, even with it up, her black hair managed to be covered in a few snowflakes.

"You could have died out of there!" Summer protested, she blinked as she stared at her nose. It looked as if it were broken, which was supported by all the dried up blood. "Is that a broken nose?!"

While Raven didn't care about her prospects, it was Qrow that she cared for. Summer was right… They could have died due to temperature or a car accident, even getting lost in near invisibility. "Yeah…" She admitted with an exhausted, haggard breath.

She immediately felt the arms of her friend wrap around her, "Well you're safe now!"

She was still very unaccustomed to hugs, especially from new people. It was made the worse with Uncle Crane. Yet Raven hesitantly returned it. "Summer," She hoisted herself up on wobbly legs, "Thank you."

Raven moved to Qrow, tapping his cheek. "Hey… time to get you warmed up."

"I can't." He murmured with closed eyes. And so with the help of Summer, the two girls managed to help him inside. However, even though they were safe from Crane as well as the weather, the Branwen were still on high alert. They couldn't let their circumstances slip.

"Parents?" Raven asked.

"Dad is in the garage, mom's in the kitchen." Summer grunted as she opened the door. "We have to be quiet." she whispered.

"About what?" The matriarch of the Rose family said, her arms crossed. Her own silver eyes looking at the girl with a warm smile. Raven felt her blood turn cold as her frown dissipated quickly.

"Qrow? Raven?" She stepped up looking at each of the Branwen twins. Now, Raven had nothing against Astrid Rose, but she was not comfortable with any adult getting close to them. "What happened? Why are you even here… in a blizzard?" She looked down each one.

"We were dropped off." Raven lied.

"By our parents." Qrow muttered, unable to lift his head up, at this point he was on his two feet, with the help of Summer.

"They walked here." Summer admitted.

Raven turned her head, hiding her black eye from the woman. "What happened to your nose?" She brushed her hand against Raven's cheek causing the girl to immediately to pull away. "Jesus, Raven... Qrow… what happened…" She muttered.

 _Please don't notice it. Please don't notice it. Please don't notice it._ Raven's heart sank.

"You two go to the living room. Summer, make them hot chocolate. I'm getting your father." The woman stormed out.

The world slowly spiraled out of Raven's fingers tips. She should have known that she couldn't have kept it a secret. "No…. No… No….." Tears fell down her cheek.

Summer moved beside her desperately thinking of a way to console her friend. She couldn't wrap her mind around what might cause this for the usually stoic girl. "Raven… I'm so sorry. I didn't want to this to happen. I'm so sorry!"

"Shut up!" Two glaring red eyes locked on with sorrowful silver. "What did you tell them!?"

"Nothing!" Summer pleaded, "I told her nothing!"

"LIAR!" Raven shot back vehemently with a vicious look.

"Rae…" She fury faded away when her brother called out her name. She turned to face him, "You know Summer would never betray us." Qrow rationalized in an exhausted tone.

"But-"

"But what?" He stood up straighter without the assistance of Summer. "You knew just as much as I did that this wouldn't— _couldn't_ last forever."

Deep down, she knew. She knew better than anyone. No matter the preparation, no matter the planning, no matter back up plans, when confronted with reality, plans often fell apart. Guilt crept into her heart as she turned away to wipe her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Raven, don't be." Summer placed a hand on her shoulder. "I just want to help." She took each Branwen's hand and led them to the living room. Once they sat down, Summer darted back into the kitchen yelling, "I'll make some hot chocolate!"

With that Astrid and Noah Rose came into the living room. "Jesus. What happened to the both of you?" Officer Noah Rose muttered as he dropped to eye level. "Who did this?" He cupped her chin lightly causing her to rip away.

He held his hands up, "Sorry. Sorry."

Qrow leaned in, "Now or never."

The two looked at each other as if they fighting a war just through their eyes. Raven would not back down, at this point, it was just about buying time for her to make up a believable excuse.

Noah cleared his throat, "I want to help. I really want to help out, but I can't do that if you don't talk to me. Was is it your mom? Your dad?" He asked.

"We don't have parents," Qrow admitted meekly which earned the scorn of his sister.

"Qrow…." She warned.

"Now, Raven, do you want to protect your brother? Or yourself?" Astrid Rose asked with a concerned voice.

She caught in a bine. A very difficult bine that either option was bad. A. She could lie, try to make up some clever story, or B. Confess. Option A: Meant they were still in a bad position. As long as Raven was compliant, Crane wasn't that bad… yet, and Qrow wasn't beaten as badly, only enough to ensure that he won't talk. Yet B… it offered her a way out, it would stop the pictures… and it would stop her from hurting, but the unknown. They already landed with their Uncle Crane, what if they got moved to someone far more worse. She already had first hand experience of humans at their worst, but from her experience, humans can much more cruel. Was she willing to subject her brother to that kind of punishment?

 _No._

"It was our uncle, Crane." Qrow confessed.

She blinked as she turned her head. He spoke for them. He admitted the truth. He told the police. How could he? How could he betray her trust like that? They made a pact, just the two of them and no one else. She could handle Crane. Yet this? She was screwed now.

She brought her knees up to her head, balling herself up. "Raven? Astrid asked.

"Look for the basement," Raven muttered from her knees. "You'll find the pictures."

With that, Summer finally arrived with the hot chocolate to see her parents completely in shock, Raven crying with Qrow hugging her.

* * *

 **Modern Day**

"So what happened?" Ironwood asked.

"Officer Noah Rose. He allowed us to stay with them. He obtained a search warrant, and that's when he found the basement."

"And what was in the basement."

"That pervert's paradise. That's where he kept all of his photos of me." Raven murmured.

Ironwood cleared his throat, "Were you ever…? Did he do anything beyond taking pictures?"

Raven shook her head, "Besides the beatings and drugging? No." She stated flatly.

"Are you sure?"

Raven nodded resolutely, "When the Rose family took me in, they took me to a doctor for a checkup, it's in the medical file. I was never—" Ironwood raised his hand to interrupt her.

"Thank you. I'm sorry for bringing that up."

Raven shrugged, "All a part of the job." Deep down she wanted to throw up. She wanted to leave. She wanted to runaway from all of this. How could she though? Those memories needed to die. Those memories constantly ate at her, controlled her, influenced her. Those memories shaped who she was. Despite all of the walls she put, all of the concrete she poured to block out the memories, her memories slowly eroded those. All it needed was something to knock the wall downs from the other side, the good side.

From the corner of her eye, she could see that Summer was dumbfounded. Completely lost for words as she zoned out into space, most likely trying to process everything.

"So what happened to you and Qrow?" Ironwood asked.

"We were taken in. Officially adopted by the Rose family." Raven smiled towards her friend. "It was the best thing that could have ever happened."

She could see Tai though, he looked as if he were about to go ballistic. How could he be left out of the loop? Weren't they married? Weren't they supposed to know each other fully and completely? All the times he'd been over to Summer, Raven and Qrow were also with her… they dooped him for years...

"You felt comfortable?" Ironwood pushed.

"As comfortable as I could ever get given what we've been through."

"You kept your last name, Branwen, why?"

Taiyang and Summer looked at both the twins as if they pondered this question many times before. Raven never answered and brushed off the question, assuring her husband it wasn't because of infidelity.

Welp time to answer that question now. "When we spent the night there, Qrow and I made a promise. We didn't want the Branwen name to carry on after us. It brought us too much pain and misery. We might be able to restore the name, but we won't curse our children with it."

"But it would have worked with Mr. Xiao-Long… You'd be Mrs. Xiao-Long," Ironwood observed.

Raven nodded as did her best to ignore the stares, "True, but I _needed_ a reminder of where I came from. I needed to make sure I knew where I came from. It was the one thing I didn't want my husband to share in. Hell, I made sure I didn't even name my kid. I wanted Tai to name our girl, me naming my kid might have cursed this entire family." She felt the touch of her husband as he entwined his fingers with hers. Hopefully, he understood all of the secrecy.

 _Hopefully._

Her crimson eyes followed the man's hand as he pulled out a folder. "Let's switch gears, if you don't mind."

"Sure."

"The four of you lived together after high school."

"We did. Tai was going to medical school. Summer was going to a police academy. Qrow and I were going into teaching careers."

"How'd it go?" Ironwood asked.

"Not too bad. Felt natural living together, like a family. Tai and me, Qrow and Summ, we were all happy… well as happy as I could be at the time. That was until Qrow decided to drop school and enlist... That was one of the hardest things I've ever gone through, considering all of the shit we've been through."

* * *

 **Raven and Qrow 21 Senior Year of College, Last Semester.**

Two armed filled with groceries, a lot of groceries, too many, some might say. Definitely too many if she couldn't get the door, so she did what seemed to be the most brilliant thing ever. She kicked the door several times.

" _Coming Coming! Hold your horses!"_ She heard a distinctly muffled voice. Once the front door opened, one of the bags was ripped out of her hands by her long-term boyfriend, Taiyang. "Hey honey!" He pecked her on the cheek.

"Hey, yourself." She walked in while Tai held the door open. As usual, the living room was a scattered mess with everyone owning their own little mess of a paradise. Textbooks, packets, forms, worksheets, and all other school crap littered the room.

"Where's Qrow and Summ?" Raven asked as she placed the groceries on the counter.

"On a date," Tai said as he dug through one of the bags, "Oh you're the best!" He pulled out a bottle of cherry Pepsi. "Seriously, I have the best girlfriend ever."

She rolled her eyes when she moved back into the living room. She found her nook, with four textbooks and three massively oversized binders. "Flattery will get you nowhere."

"Fudge biscuits." Tai jumped over the couch, landing with a plop.

"That's really gross, if you think about it…" Raven looked up from her binder with a contemplative look. "A fudge biscuit… just eww…"

"Sounds delicious," Tai corrected, "So what's on your agenda?"

Raven blinked at the man as if she heard the dumbest question ever, "what isn't? My PDE midterm evaluation is coming up in two weeks. I'm behind on lesson plans. I still need to do my self-diagnostic assessment. That's not even mentioning the fact that I'm behind a week's worth of reading! Oh and that band competition in Maryland. We've got practice, and I'm expected to lead the percussion, no pressure-"

"Oh yeah!" Tai face-palmed. "I get free tickets, right?"

Her mouth quirked upward, "God you really are cheap…. Yeah, you do. Qrow gets them too."

 ***SLAM!***

The two immediately turned towards the front door.

"YOU ARE SO UNBELIEVABLE!" An enraged Summer stormed into the house, ignoring her two friends in the living room.

Qrow chased after her as he pleaded, "Summer… hold on… just hear me out!"

 ***SLAM***

Apparently Summer didn't want to hear.

 _What the hell did you do?_ Raven lamented as she watched her brother deflate, his down and shoulders sagged. "Buddy, what did you do?"

"I... " he shuffled in, "might have made her angry."

Raven closed her binder and dropped it on the table. She crossed her arms as she raised an expectant eyebrow. "Qrow, what did you do?"

"I might have… told her things…" He sighed as he dropped into a chair. He couldn't keep eye contact as he ran through his hand through his hair.

"Qrow…" Raven leaned in, "what did you say? Please tell me you didn't break up with her."

"I might as well have." He shook his head as he stared at the floor.

"Oh Jesus, Qrow." Raven sighed. "What did you do?"

"I… … … … …" He mumbled under his breath.

"Buddy, you were mumbling." Tai cupped his ear.

"I'm joining the military." Qrow barely spoke up.

That couldn't be right. No. That just couldn't be right. She must have misheard that. "Heh…" Tai chuckled awkwardly, "That's a good joke buddy. Pretty good joke, right Rae?"

Raven could feel her throat clench up, her hands clammy. "Tai, I'm not joking. I enlisted." He narrowed his eyebrows.

Just like that, she lost it. "Qrow, what the literal fuck!?" She stood up nearly knocking over the table. "Where the fuck did this fucking come from? What about _your fucking career?_ " She hissed looming over him as they locked eyes. One pair of extremely livid, fiery eyes beaming down unyielding and determined crimson eyes. "What about fucking family?"

He didn't yield as he looked up to his sister. "I already filled out the paper for a leave of absence."

That only made her angrier. He'd been planning this. This wasn't a sudden decision and he didn't tell her. It even made her angrier when he ignored the whole aspect of family. "You can't just up and walk away."

"I talked to my co-op teacher. I got a Withdrawal for the course," He explained.

" _You son of a bitch."_ Raven snarled.

"Rae, hold up."

She whipped her head towards Tai, "Stay the fuck out of this Tai. This is family."

"Rae…" She could see the shock in his eyes.

" _Get out._ " Raven demanded, "This is between me and _him._ "

"Raven…" His voice sounded unsure, almost timid.

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF THE GOD DAMN ROOM, TAI!" She roared as her blood demanded action. She watched as the man got up slowly and backed out of the room with his hands raised, her fury blinded her to the look of pure betrayal. Yet her fury consumed all thought. Now her fury, her pain, her betrayal from the years of anguish as a child all came out at the one person who did not deserve. She whirled around at her target.

"What gives you the right?"

Qrow stood up, standing up to his sister. "What gave me the right?" he asked incredulously, "It's my fucking life. What I do with my life is my own business. You don't control me!"

Without any hesitation, her hand grabbed him by the collar pulling his face in. "You son of a bitch! What about Summer? Did you think about her?" She snarled.

No answer.

"Or Tai?"

No answer.

"Did you ever think about me? How I might feel?"

No answer. Just the same passive, neutral, nearly lifeless stare.

"ANSWER ME!" She roared at the top of her lungs as her hate, anger, and pain poured out.

Still no answer as her grip on his collar only tightened. It only hurt more seeing the cold, passive stare. It made her blood erupt. She raised a fist as her body and mind screamed to strike. "ANSWER THE FUCKING QUESTION!"

"You want to hit me?" He finally spoke, looking her in the eye. "Fine. Hit me. I deserve it."

She wanted to. She desperately wanted to.

Then the memories came back with vengeance, with bloody fury. A large lump formed in her throat. Her grip slackened as she pulled away. She turned her back, unable to face him, "If you want to betray the only family that has ever loved you, fine. You want to fucking runaway? Fine. Go. It's clear I never mattered…"

"Rae… you know that I love-" She felt a hand on her shoulder.

She pulled away, "Just go." She said in a defeated voice, "Clearly _family_ never meant a damn to you."

"Rae-"

"GET THE FUCK OUT!" She boomed as tears streamed down her cheeks.

There was some shuffling behind her.

A few moments later, the door clicked shut. Energy sapped from her as she collapsed to the ground, her strength sucked out of her.

Her anchor, the one thing that kept her going, that gave her hope, was now gone. Her heart filled with a certain guilt that words could never express, a guilt that was a bottomless void.

"Rae?" Taiyang called, peeping his from the kitchen.

"Are you alright?" Summer asked as came down the stairs.

Her luscious black mane obscured the look of utter pain and horror. "Noooo…" she sobbed as she held herself. "No…" She whimpered into the ground. "He turned his back on us…" She pressed her down to the ground. "On me…"

She slammed her fist into the ground, "I've done everything for him. _EVERYTHING."_

Footsteps made it closer. She felt a hand gently lift her up, "It's going to be alright." Tai reassured her.

At this point, instinct was on cruise control as she pulled away. "Just leave me alone." She hoisted herself away. "I just want to be alone."

* * *

Two weeks had gone by, and Raven was not doing so hot. She spent the last two weeks in two of places, in her room or the bathroom, both completely slammed for most of the day. Work from marching band, college, and student teaching started to pile on and on and on. She didn't give a living fuck, she just wanted to lie in bed and forget what happened.

She wanted to forget everything. Hell, she even kicked Tai out of the room. She just did not want to deal with anyone.

She pulled the blanket down, looking at the alarm clock 6:30 AM. _Well no student teaching today._ She picked up the phone and dialed the school district's phone.

 _Ring._

 _Ring._

 _Ring._

" _Hello?"_

"Hello, Mr. Standford, This is Raven."

" _Ahh, Miss Branwen, what can I do for ya?"_

"Yeah… I'm sorry to inform you, but I won't be able to come in." She muttered weakly.

There was a moment of silence.

" _Miss Branwen, are you alright? Are you feeling alright?"_

She cleared her throat, "Yeah… just under the weather."

" _Alright… but please, do get some rest. Your evaluation is next week."_

"I'll try, thank you, sir."

 _Mhmm, take care."_

With that Raven hanged up and pulled the blanket over her head with one thought in her mind: _If you want to betray the only family that has ever loved you, fine. You want to fucking runaway. Fine. Go. It's clear I never mattered…_

Was he the real traitor? Or was it her?

She didn't want to think.

Thinking hurt… a lot.

Thinking was bad, she just wanted it to stop.

* * *

" _Honey, smile for me. My precious little bird needs to be happy!"_ A sinister voice called out to her in the darkness.

A brilliant white flash erupted that overloaded all of her senses.

" _I SAID BE HAPPY!"_

She could feel the anger, the spite, surrounding her as another flash erupted causing her to collapse to the ground.

" _You want your brother to live, don't you?"_ The voice whispered.

"More than anything…" A hushed little voice said

" _Then. smile."_ The voice commanded.

The little girl smiled as she buried all of her anger and tears.

" _That's it."_

FLASH

* * *

With great force, the blankets were ripped off of her as Raven shot up, sweat covering her face. Two red, bloodshot eyes scanned the room for those damn flashes. For that sick demented fuck that she promised to gut.

Realizing it was just a dream, she draped her legs over the bed. "Qrow….." She whimpered to herself as she hanged her low. "Qroooooow." She whimpered, closing her eyes to prevent the water in her eyes from splashing onto the floor.

 _God damn it. God fucking damn it. Why? WHY?_

 _Why did he need to run away?_

 _Why did he need leave her?_

 _Why did she push him away?_

 _Why was she a shitty sister?_

With a heavy heart, she dragged herself out of bed and into the kitchen. The motions that she was going through were without any real human thought as she grabbed a bowl, some cereal, and milk and placed them on the counter.

"Taking off again?" Summer peaked in.

She didn't respond. She lost any real motivation to speak.

"Me, too. You don't need to say anything. I know the feeling." She said as she sat at the kitchen table.

Raven's crimson eye twitched as she looked out the window, "Doubtful," she muttered. The first word she had said to her best friends in about two weeks.

"Why's that?" Summer glared at Raven. "I love him just as much as you."

Without even knowing it, her cereal bowl ended up on the ground in a dozen of pieces. "You're an outsider, how could you?" Raven snarled at Summer with eyes of a hungry wolf. "You didn't go through what we went through. So no, you don't know how it fucking _feels._ You could barely even comprehend what it feels like and I pray to God you never do." She leaned on the table. "But never. _NEVER._ Say that again."

The young woman silver eyes broke eye contact. One singular tear drop splashed onto the table.

Immediately the inferno died down. "Summ…" She croaked out realizing the horrible mistake. Yet it was too late.

"Save it." The smaller woman stood up and brushed past Raven.

Silence. It was the sound she had ever experienced. In a span of a week, she managed to isolate herself from the three people that were the most important foundation to her life.

"I can't… I can't…" she muttered to herself as she made for the nightstand in the hallway. She grabbed her keys out of the bowl, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

You know the saying… it's 5 PM somewhere? For Raven, it started around 9:00 AM. She wasted…. In fact about $300 dollars down the drain wasted.

"Anutter." She ordered.

"Raven, I think you've had enough." The bartender shook his head as wiped down the counter.

"I'll tell ya… when you had enough!" She slurred her words angrily.

"What's wrong, you're never got this wasted before."

She grunted as shoved her hand into her pocket pulling out another fifty and slapped it down. "Take my mooney an give me somethin' do drink!"

"I think you really had enough."

Nope. She wasn't going to take that as she nearly fell out of her stool trying to reach over the counter to grab a bottle. Immediately, the bartender tried to push her back.. "I don't wanna throw you out unless… I have too…" He grunted causing Raven to reach more.

"Just gibme somedin to drunk." She insisted with half glazed over eyes.

"Hey Fred, I was just wondering if you've…" a familiar voice called out, "RAVEN!"

A rather extremely angry blonde man glared at her followed by a short woman in a white cloak. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Taiyang stormed over followed by his companion.

"Piss off." Raven muttered as she continued to reach over the counter.

Summer immediately clamped down on the taller woman's shoulder pulling her back into her seat. "What the hell has gotten into you?"

She only squirmed under grip causing her yelp in pain when Summer tightened her grip. "I… just wan a drinkkkk…"

Tai looked down at his girlfriend with a disapproving look, "I think you've had enough."

"You aren't my _parent._ " She hissed vehemently with a feral glare, "I can 'andle myself."

"Clearly." Summer scoffed.

She shot a look at Summer, "Fuck you."

"Hey Fred, could we get a moment please?"

The bartender nodded pulling out three glasses filling them water, "On the house. If someone comes in, yell for me."

"Can do." Summer sat on the other side of Raven, "Thanks Fred."

When the kitchen door flapped closed, Tai sat beside his girlfriend. "Rae… talk to me."

"I don't wanna." She mumbled as she buried her head into her arms.

"Then…" Tai stern attitude instantly let up, "We'll just sit here with you."

Why? Why did they have to be good people? Why did they have to love her? She was a complete asshole to them. She only deserved their hate and scorn. "You have better thins to do." She murmured into her arms.

Tai looked up to the ceiling as he tapped his chin in a contemplative pose. He asked Summer, "Do we have anything planned?"

"Nope!" She said cheerfully.

Even in her drunken state, she remembered everything. It wasn't very true that people drink to forget. People drink to numb themselves… yet right now, it made it so much worse. It was an ever spiraling out of control cycle. "You guys should hate me… despise me. I an asshole to all ya."

She felt a hand rub her back. "Yeah… well you're going through something that we can't understand. I mean hell, your partner in crime did something pretty extreme. We all were hurt when he didn't tell us what he was planning. You most of all…"

She continued to listen.

"Rae, I've always loved Qrow, you know that. I know I can never be apart of what you two are, I accept that. I'm not going to force myself in if you don't want me in" Summer reassured her in a soft voice as rested her arms on the counter, her chin on her arms. "But I want you to know that you're family. We're all family. We stick together, no matter what."

"But I… I… yelled at you..." She sobbed into her arms, "I… told you guys I didn't want you around… that we weren't family."

"Hey, look at me." Tai tapped her elbow. She peaked a tear-filled crimson eye up. "I love you. I know I don't say it enough when I should, but I absolutely love you. You are my world and nothing you can do will change that. You know why?

 _How? Why? How could they be like this?_ She shook her head.

His blue eyes were filled with a certain passion she fell in love with, that certain indomitable resilience, "Because Raven Branwen… I want to us to be a family." He said as he stood up from his stool pulling out a small little box as he dropped to one knee.

Her mind went blank.

 _This can't be happening._ She lifted herself up as he opened the little box.

Inside was a small gold ring with a small little ruby on top. "Raven Branwen…. Will you marry me?"

 ***THUNK***

She fell unconscious, her head hitting the bar counter.

"Tai!" Summer exclaimed filled concerned and joy, "You didn't tell me?! We should get her home! OH MY GOD! THIS IS THE WEIRDEST PROPOSAL!"

* * *

 ***CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP!***

Two bloodshot crimson eyes awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside. "Stupid birds…" She mumbled, not forgetting the irony of it.

A quick glance at the alarm clock said 9 AM. She clutched her head as she sat up. Wondering out of the bedroom, she saw Summer eating breakfast, and Tai still passed out on the couch. "Hey, Rae, how you feelin?"

"Like I got hit by a truck." She grumbled.

"Yeah… that was a nasty fall you had there." Summer as she took a bite out off her muffin.

"Fall…?" She asked hesitantly until it clicked…. Her eyes went wide in alarm.

Taiyang Xiao-Long proposed to me….. And I didn't say anything…. She mentally screamed. "Don't worry, he understands. He even admitted that it was a spur of the moment thing." Summer tried to reassure her.

"Summer… I'm really sorry about yesterday…." She said with some urgency, "We'll talk about it later. Alright?"

"Sure thing! And on don't worry about it. I get it!" She shooed her away "Now get… you need to talk to someone."

Raven nodded and bolted over to Taiyang. She got on her knees and shook him as two tired eyes popped open lazily. "Rae…?" He mumbled dreamily.

"Yes."

Still half asleep, he asked, "Whaaa?"

" _Yes."_ She stated resolutely.

"Yes?" He asked again.

" _Yes."_ She immediately hugged him.

"OH MY GOD YES!" Tai boomed with uncontrollable joy.

They embraced one another for a long time only to be interrupted by Summer squealing with joy. "You two are so cuu _uuuuu_ te!"

Raven broke away, slightly red in the cheeks. "One condition though,"

Tai raised an eyebrow, "Sure."

"I keep my last name."

He sat up almost confused, "I… um…"

"Qrow and me made a promise growing up that no matter what. Even if he's not here, I need to honor that request."

"Alright," Tai said resolutely. "Good enough for me." He embraced her.

* * *

 ***Modern Day***

"Yep… that's how I nearly failed out. I reacted badly to Qrow leaving." She placed a hand on top of his. "That year, after graduating, I married Tai, and that's how things got rolling."

"Do you support what he did and why he did it?" Ironwood asked.

She looked towards her brother. "I know I love my brother," she squeezed, "I wish I knew _why…_ back then. I'm proud of why he served, but I wish he just opened up."

"Touching," Ironwood admired.

"So what did you get in student teaching?" Ironwood enquired.

"C."

"Yet you still got hired?" Ironwood raised an eyebrow, "Almost all school districts accept only the highest grades."

Raven nodded, "That is absolutely true. When we moved up here, I saw there was an opening and applied. He called me for an interview and asked the same exact question."

"And?"

"I told him the truth. I was going through a major bout of depression at the time which caused me to nearly fail out." Raven admitted, "He told me that everyone deserves a second chance. It isn't about having the best grade, it's about being able to preserve and pushing through the darkest moment in your life."

"I think we can all appreciate that." Ironwood agreed, "Any other thoughts?"

"That's it."

With that, Ironwood hit the pause button.

It felt as if the weight of the world was lifted off of her shoulders. "Jesus Christ…" Raven let out as she leaned back, "That… that kinda sucked."

No one said anything, their silence was their agreement. "It's been a pleasure," Ironwood spoke up. "People like you are true inspirations to support."

The four of them stood up shaking the lawyer's hand. "It's a pleasure for you to represent us." Taiyang replied, "Thank you for your service."

They made their way out of the office. "We should talk about a few things…." Qrow spoke up.

"Mhmm." His sister responded.

"Oh yeah.." Taiyang agreed.

"Yep." Summer agreed. "Let's do it over…" She looked at her phone. "Dinner? I didn't think we were in there that long…"

The other three agreed readily. It had been a truly grueling day.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hi my friends!**

 **Another chapter on the definitely heavy side.**

 **Big thanks to SecretlySilentEvil for edit.**

 **Reeeeeeeviews!**

 **Tronmaster5704: Hey mate! Well thanks! Hope you enjoyed the chapter**

 **Mikainox: I love my history…. (yeah… I'm a nerd :) As for digging through primary sources, I graduated with B. so we never did that in any of my education classes, but grad school? Diving head first into it lol.**

 **I'm a sucker for happy endings ;)**

 **Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **MorgothII: Thank you! Always glad to hear from you :)**

 **GrimmAbyss: Howdy my friend! I appreciate the review, hopefully you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **Couldrenblock: Hey there bud! Power of friendship indeed lol (not to be cheesy or anything). Hopefully you were able to lift this one ;)**

 **Killkill123100: Hiya! My writing? Nah, thank Secret for editing** :D **Hopefully you've enjoyed the chapter.**

 **Slightly intense: That would be a plot twist lmao**

 **Big Bad Beowolf: I am a bastard, aren't I? Lol. I won't lie, I enjoyed writing the backstory, I enjoy writing Team STRQ, and well... their experiences directly impact what's going to happen. But… It's time to get back Jaune and gang.**

 **Secret, do you have any words?** Beta reading and editing are two different beasts. ;)

 **Is that a compliment…. Or… I don't know….?**

;)

 **Well… sure… I'll take it. Anywho, next time we go back to the old gang! Leave a fav, follow, or review!**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	37. Chapter 37: Legacy

**Chapter 37: Legacy**

 _Yeah…. I won't lie… that was one of my more memorable mornings. You know that whole stereotype of waking up with that certain girl curled right up against you…. Yeah… it's a great feeling._

 _Remember how I told you that Weiss fell asleep on my shoulder on the ride back from the band competition. It was great feeling… just causes your heart to jump… your stomach to flutter, a warmth in your cheeks._

 _Try amplifying that by a hundred times. When my eyes opened to seeing Weiss curled up next to me... I felt like nothing could get me down. Even now… it warms my cold heart even in my old age heh. That night started us on a road that neither of us knew was going to take us._

 _At the time, I was completely alright with that._

* * *

"Just stop… just stop this….." Yang hid her face behind her face as she tried to subdue her laughter. "I just can't…."

Jaune grabbed the controller and hit the pause button.

Even Blake had a shock looked, her eyes glued to the t.v., "I like him" She laughed which made everyone laugh; Blake never really laughed.

"A pig…" Pyrrha murmured with a disgusted look.

"But did he really say that?" Weiss cringed.

"I don't know if I should take him seriously or not..." Jaune wiped his eyes.

"With a baseball bat like that," Yang pointed at the screen, "You probably should."

Ruby, all the while, was rolling around laughing her little heart out while pointed at the t.v. "He said PEE PEE PANTS CITY!" She squealed with laughter.

Yang rolled her eyes, "Yes Ruby… We got it…. Psychopathic pig troll."

"Best villain ever." Blake nominated.

"He's got a great fashion sense…" Weiss nodded approvingly.

Jaune unpaused the episode of Walking Dead with its newest, and best villain ever, the fashionista Negan. A tall, broad man with gelled back black hair, salt and peppered on the sides. His goatee matched the sinister but troll pearly white smile as he twirled barbed wire wrapped baseball bat. He completed his ensemble with a fashionable leather jacket matched that his singular black glove. The man was the spitting image of a comedic sociopath as he went from group member to group member while he taunted the protagonists. He casually pointed the bat at each one with a cheeky grin.

 ***DING DONG* *DING DONG***

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Ruby tossed her hands up into the air with a sigh of indignation.

Jaune looked over to Weiss who had her phone out. "I apologize… I forgot my sister would be picking me up…"

Yang managed to drag herself out of the mound of pillows she had over her. "Don't sweat it," She brushed the apology off, "You got everything?"

The white-haired girl nodded as she slung her ocean blue backpack over her one arm. "Yes, I do."

"See ya." Blake gave a small hand wave with an equally small but fond smile.

"Always a pleasure." Pyrrha beamed.

"Bye!" Ruby waved.

Jaune stood up with Weiss, "I'll walk out with you."

"Y-you don't have too…" She stammered.

"I want too." He countered.

Yang waved them over with a cheeky grin, "Come on you two lovebirds."

Yep… he could feel it in his cheeks, the slight, tingling warmth.

"D'awwwww" Ruby cooed.

That immediately prompted the two of them over to the door which Yang opened and Weiss stepped out to be met with a much taller, more regal version of Weiss, whose hair was tied up in a bun at the rear left corner of her head, causing her bangs to fall towards the right side of her face, and leaving a small curled lock of hair that reaches below her left ear. She had an almost regal appearance with how she carried herself. "Sister," She stated.

"Winter," Weiss greeted warmly, "I'd like you to meet my friends. Yang Xiao-Long."

"I see…" She as she lifted up one eyebrow, taking all of her in causing the blond girl shift uncomfortably. Out of nowhere, the taller version of Weiss offered her hand which Yang accept with a firm handshake. "Thank you for inviting my sister. She rarely gets out when she isn't with Neptune."

With the mention of that name, the three teenagers cringed, though Jaune could see Weiss physically react, her pleasant manner evaporating. Winter seemed to raise a suspicious eyebrow; she must have noticed the change in mood.

Yet Yang saved the day, "Yeah, no worries. I'm glad we're friends. If it wasn't for Jaune," The blonde gave a small nod towards his direction, "I wouldn't have met her."

Winter's cold, analytical gaze fell upon the smile. Her blue eyes shifted back to her sister then back at Jaune. Her cold lips quirked upward ever so slightly. "So this is the boy that Weiss has been talking about…"

"I… um? What?" He stammered as he rapidly blinked as he tried to think of the myriad of things that could have said. "Yes. Yes? Maybe?"

She stuck out her hand, "Thank you for taking an interest in my sister."

Immediately, Jaune lit up like a Christmas tree in the middle of December. He accepted the handshake; he almost let out a yelp of pain due to Winter's iron grip.

"I do believe it is time for us to get going." Winter looked down at her watch.

Weiss offered a small wave of the hand in good-bye, "Thanks for having me, Yang. I'll talk to you later, Jaune."

With that, Yang closed the door with a brilliant smile. She playfully punched his arm, "Jaune laying down the slick moves, you go man. I think she's totally into you."

He gave an incredulous smile, "What? No…. she just broke up with a douchebag…" He reasoned.

His blonde girl-friend rolled her lilac eyes, "I saw you guys last night... She was real comfortable with you." Her grin grew two times larger.

Jaune's jaw practically hit the ground. "But… but you fell asleep before me.."

Yang shrugged with a smile, "I know all. You should know that by now."

Jaune decided to switch gears. "Thanks for inviting her though, I really appreciate it."

Yang's smile simply grew larger, "Anytime Jaune, I'm not opposed to hanging out with her, she's pretty cool. Now come on… we gotta watch pee-pee pants city."

Jaune shook his head with a chuckle as they went back to the room with his others friends as he muttered, "Pee pee pants city…. Sheesh."

* * *

 **Later that night.**

Jaune happened to be sitting on the couch, thumbing through this godforsaken book. _Note to self… if you're going to write a history book, make it interesting,_ Jaune thought to himself as he put down the book. He blinked his eyes as he tried to process everything that the author was saying.

He took out his notebook, opened to a fresh new page as he copied down the notes _The North predominantly industrial; The South predominantly agricultural… Centralization vs. regionalism_.

 _Compared to Houston-_

 _-Houston argues that North and South were extremely similar except for the institution of slavery. Slavery escalated tension between North and South. North sought to eliminate competition that threatened waged labor and free agricultural farming. South sought federal protection and expansion of slavery and property rights in slavery._

Now he just needed to write a three page paper on how the authors present their arguments. For some reason, his head hurt.

"I'm starting to regret taking Civil War." Jaune sighed causing Yang to look up from her math textbook. Ruby was engrossed in her own little world as she played the newest Pokemon game.

"Slavery is bad," Yang said as if she knew the answer one of life's greatest question. "Just write that, and you'll be fine."

Jaune let out an amused laugh. "For some reason, I don't think that will fly with your mom."

Yang shrugged, "Well that's all she talks about in her grad class. 'This book, that book,'" Yang sassed earning an amused snort from her fellow blonde, "'Slavery is bad. Don't do it.'"

"But can I do that for three pages?" Jaune raised an eyebrow.

"I can," Yang crossed her arms confidently.

"Well, that's because you're a master of bullshit… pardon my French."

"LANGUAGE!" Ruby yelled not bothering to look up from her DS.

"English… but yeah." Yang laughed as she closed her geometry textbook with a slam, "Sorry, Rubes."

Jaune watched as she put down her DS with a concerned look. "Yang?"

Yang gave her cousin a rather concerned Ruby look. "Sup Rubes…?"

"Shouldn't our parents be back?"

 _Yeah, it's getting a little late._ Jaune thought to himself as he reached for his phone. 7:30 PM. _Everything is fine._ "Maybe they went to get dinner or something." Jaune tried to ease everyone's concern.

"They would have told us…" Ruby murmured.

Yang leaned over the daybed and looked through the window. "I don't see anything," Her voice was filled with even more concern… almost fear. She plopped back down on the couch, "Maybe we should call…"

Yet something caught Jaune's eyes; he pointed back at the window. One car, then another, pulled up. A few moments later, the door slowly creaked open slowly. In walked Yang's parents—which what Jaune could tell—looked like they been through a living hell.

"Hey guys…" Tai perked up with a wave. "Sorry we've been out for awhile. Some important things came up."

Yang didn't buy it, "Is everything alright?"

Her mother nodded, though Jaune could see through the charade. "Yeah… just a long day." She looked over to Ruby, "Ruby, your parents are waiting outside."

The short girl gathered her things and said her goodbyes, "Thanks for letting me spend the night, guys."

"Anytime," Tai waved.

"You're always welcome, Ruby." Raven nodded with an exhausted smile.

The tension filled the air, blanketing the air. Jaune and Yang almost communicated through their thoughts. With Yang's parents out in the kitchen, neither teen wanted to say anything. The house was entirely silent except for the occasional clinking of Tai washing some dishes. Raven was sitting at the kitchen table, arms propped up as she rubbed her temples from what appeared to be a rather nasty headache.

Yang nodded towards the stair. _Should we go?_

Jaune peeked his head over the couch to see the adults. It just felt dark and scary. Usually, Jaune attributed to Raven being herself, but there was always some kind of warmth, not now though. Jaune subtlety nodded. _Yeah…_

He picked himself as quietly as possible gathering his book as Yang did the same. How odd to think that the other day, they were fine. Now… it was like he was in a room with some strangers.

"Do you guys want anything to eat?" Raven asked. Her ability to sense things without actually looking was truly impeccable.

"No thanks Mom, we just finished the pizza before you guys got home." Yang tried to sound as natural as possible.

"I'm fine, thank you though."

The black-haired woman only hummed in response.

As the two climbed the stairs, they shared wavering glances. "You creeped out just as much as I was?" Yang asked.

"Yeah…" Jaune nodded, "Something happened, and they don't want us to know about it."

There was a certain bone chilling tension in the house ever since they arrived. A vast contrast to what he remembered when he first moved in. He followed Yang into her room where she plopped on her bed as he sat at her desk. He found swirling around tended to be very relaxing for him.

"Hopefully they'll bounce back." Jaune sighed.

"They will, they always do."

* * *

 _Yang was right. She's right… well, most of the time. That night, was the tension-filled night I've spent in the house. Seeing Yang equally freaked out made it all the worst. Yet by the morning, it seemed to be a distant memory._

 _The next morning—a school day—everything was back to normal. As usual, Tai was making breakfast, while Raven was putting the finishing touches on one of her projects. Both Yang and I felt at ease. The morning was filled with two chirpy adults trying to be social with two exhausted and barely awake teenagers._

 _Needless to say, their efforts didn't bear fruit._

* * *

On his way to lunch, Jaune stopped at his locker. Quickly entering the numbers, he unlatched the lock, he deposited his Algebra 2 textbook, and grabbed his civil war book that they would be discussing today.

"Oooof!" He felt his body slammed into the locker.

"Hey buddy…" A sinisterly collected voice whispered in his ear. "...Ya know, I'm still benched because of you."

 _Shit. Mercury._

Yet Jaune wasn't going to cower. "It's not my fault you're a scumbag."

Suddenly, he felt an arm around his neck that jerked upwards making it increasingly harder to breathe. "You think you're tough cause you can talk shit?" Another sharp jerk upward left him unable breathe. "Buddy… you don't understand—you're shit—you're on the very bottom of the pole."

"Mercury!"

The grip loosened causing Jaune's legs to nearly give out. "What do you think you're doing?" He praised God when he heard Weiss' sharp, accusing voice.

Mercury shrugged nonchalantly with a sly smirk. "Ohh nothing snow angel." The same arm that was around Jaune's neck was on his shoulder as it guided him to face Weiss. "Just having a friendly chat. Just catching up, ya know? Isn't that right buddy?"

Jaune could feel the fingers digging into his shoulder. Jaune looked up to Mercury, whose eyes told him not to fuck this up. Finally, Jaune's gaze fell back to Weiss.

"That isn't what I saw. I saw you attempting to choke another student. Not just a school violation but also physical assault. Do you really want to get the police involved?" Weiss crossed her arms with a raised eyebrow.

Mercury's arm—for some unexplainable reason—drifted away. He leaned into Jaune's ear. "She's a keeper. Too bad I'll bang her first."

Jaune watched with gritted teeth as casually strolled up to Weiss. "Hey… I don't know what you see in him. Why don't you hang out with me?" He looked her over, top to bottom, with a certain hunger in his eyes.

 _Weiss please don't…_

"A stuck up, arrogant jerk? Yeah, I want nothing to do with your kind." Weiss stood her ground as Mercury circled around. "I suggest you leave unless you want to deal with a lawsuit"

The silver-haired boy seemed slightly stunned. "Y-you're bluffing."

She let out an amused huff, "Try me, Black. My father is a lawyer, and I can guarantee that we can sue your family into financial ruin, not mention that it would leave a horrendous mark on your record. I don't think any college would want you for assault. You're choice, though."

Jaune was beyond the moon with Weiss' defiance as he watched the jerk slowly back off. Yet Mercury had to save face. "I like 'em feisty. I'll catch you later." He smirked as he swept his hair back.

"You alright, Jaune?" Weiss watched Mercury walk away.

He closed his locker, making sure that the lock was secured. "Yeah… He's just a jerk… Thanks for the help."

They walked down towards the cafeteria, "But your father's a lawyer?"

She nodded, "Yeah…" She murmured as they went to get their meals. "I don't like people knowing about it."

With food in hand, they made their way to the table, "Why not?" Jaune asked, "It just worked."

She inhaled sharply. He realized that this was a touchy subject for her. "Well… I don't want to be known just because of my father… He's a good lawyer; a real good lawyer. He's been working for stores like Walmart and Target whenever they get in a lawsuit. Because of that, we are much better off."

That was shocking; here he was talking to the daughter of a well-off lawyer. It explained a lot about her. All of her formality, her regalness, her refinement, yet why the hell are they in Pine County? The county was one of the poorest in the state. "So… if you don't mind me asking, why are you here?"

Weiss stared down at her chicken noodle soup as she stirred it absent-mindedly with her spoon. "We're wealthy, and my mother wanted nothing to do with the fame, the glamour of destroying the lives of workers who are just trying to make a little more of a living. Workers who wanted better wages, set up unions, more rights… He helped destroy the unions in the retail sector. My mom couldn't deal with it, so she told my father that he needs to quit or she'd get a divorce."

 _Jesus…._ "Weiss… I'm sorry." Without even realizing, he was holding her hand. He could see her instantly pull away, yet she didn't completely. She gave a squeeze back. "You don't need to go on if you don't want too."

She squeezed back as she looked up. Concerned ocean blue eyes met reassuring ice blue. "No… Friends don't keep secrets… I just…" She let out a small sigh, "...just never really told anyone. I didn't even tell Neptune."

Her determined gaze faltered, "I just don't want you to judge me."

His own determination rose as he suppressed his own doubts. His friend needed him _now,_ and he was not about to let her down. "Never."

She inhaled slowly as she closed her eyes. It looked as if she were rehearsing her words. "I've never been close to my family…" She finally spoke up. "My father… pushed all of us away because he resented my mother. He never forgave her; he was trapped in a relationship that he longer wanted to be apart of."

"What do you mean?" Jaune asked.

"Think about it… if you're a prominent lawyer, you want to be absolutely spotless. If you want to be a successful lawyer for any large corporation, you want to be a perfect image, a shrewd lawyer, a good father, a loyal husband. It wouldn't look so good if you got divorced and were estranged from your own family. Even though he's 'retired,' he has a reputation to keep within the business…"

He could see the tears form in her eyes as she tried to blink them away. She continued in a trembling voice. "... and… and… that's more important to him than his own family. He blames us—all of us— for making him leave the one thing he loved all his life... It wasn't about the money or anything… It… It was about him being superior, destroying his opponents. He lived off of all the throat cutting. He never lost a case, not a single one."

This man… this man was not a good man. Even saying that was being put very _very_ mildly. This man sought to control everything he owned, and if he couldn't control it, he would destroy it.

"Well… your sister seems pretty… nice." Jaune tried to change the subject.

Weiss seemed to perk up. "She's the only one. Originally, Father wanted her to become a lawyer. She had other ideas; she became an intelligence analyst for the NSA." She said with an air of confidence. "She's been the only real source of a family I've ever had. Though she has a rough exterior, she's got a heart of gold."

 _Sounds familiar,_ Jaune mentally chuckled

"It ruined our father. He wanted to make sure the Schnee's were a respectable family. You know… social elites. He wanted all Schnees to be ruthless lawyers… Well he realized that his," she used air quotes, "'dynasty' wouldn't be carried on by his girls, but my brother? The two seemed to have clicked. Father like son, I suppose…" She trailed off.

"Where was your mother?"

"What about her?" Her voice lowered in anger as she shot him a glare. "She is an alcoholic. Why wouldn't you be if you're stuck in a loveless relationship with a man who only cares about control."

It struck him like a lightning bolt. The two were more similar than he first imagined. Yet all of this… she never let it show, no matter what. That was impressive, yet everyone has their moment of weakness.

Jaune thought he was good at keeping his secret. Yet Weiss? Weiss was a prodigy. Prodigy in singing, playing the vibraphone, and hiding her secrets. "You probably think 'Oh that sucks. Or what a freak. She isn't normal.' You probably don't want anything to do with me."

She even had the same exact fears that he had.

He realized that she pulled her hand out of his grasp. "Weiss.."

She didn't respond; she just kept her meal.

"I know the feeling. I really do." Jaune reassured her. "More than you know."

She looked at him questioningly. "I'm still coming to terms with everything. I want you to know that I share the same exact doubts and fears. I want you to know that you can talk to me about anything. _ANYTHING_. Friends help each other, you know?"

She nodded with a small smile. "I truly appreciate it. The same goes for you."

* * *

 _Through the gates of hell, we make our way to the gates of heaven._

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hey peeps! Felt like's been forever, huh?**

 **I apologize, it's been a hectic couple of weeks.**

 **Nothing much to say, though I'd love to hear your thoughts!**

 **Reviewssssss!**

 **Tronmaster5704: Hey buddy! Thanks again for the review, always appreciated! Anywho… I enjoy my version of Raven as well ;) Don't worry, she isn't goin anywhere.**

 **Pyropuppet: Hey mate, don't worry about it. I very much understand, the fact you left a review at all means a lot. Though I kinda wanna know what you think will happen! I love that stuff (and don't worry, it wouldn't change anything. The ending has been set in stone.)**

 **Big Bad Beowolf: My friend! I was really hesitant to even write Raven's chapter, but I felt it very much necessary for explaining who the character is. It is also going to be incredibly important later on, as was Qrow's chapter.**

 **A Random Commie: Don't sweat it, bud.**


	38. Chapter 38: Pandora's Little Box

**Chapter 38: Pandora's Little Box**

* * *

 _It's funny. One simple misunderstanding can cause the best of friends to fight. One simple misunderstanding can cause a great many problems down the road. Do I blame Yang? No, of course not. She was in her own boat with her own struggles, but do you think I saw it at that time? Of course not._

 _We tend to get trapped in our own little worlds and sometimes we need help to get pulled out of that whirlpool._

 _Yet we are often too afraid to provide that lifeline._

* * *

"Blllllllaaaaaake….. Please."

"Nope." The bookworm turned the page as she did her best to ignore the pleas for help.

"Whhhhhhhhyyyyyy?"

"Nope." She continued to ignore the blonde girl.

"You wouldn't leave your lovable friend hanging, would you?"

"I would, " Blake countered.

"But you're my friend…" Yang clasped her hands in prayer towards her savior that had all the answers.

"Okay, your point?" Her savior swatted her hands down. Realizing that she was beaten, Yang buried her head in her arms.

"What am I missing?" Pyrrha walked up to the table, placing her tray down on the table.

Ruby giggled. "Blake won't tell Yang what's on the test for Geometry."

The redhead shook her head with a look of disappointment, "Yang, that's cheating."

Yang shot up with a finger in the air, "What you call cheating, I call strategic… strategic… strategic…" She faltered.

"Reconnaissance!" Ruby chimed in.

Yang slammed a fist down on the table and offered a fist to Ruby who returned it in kind, "Yeah! Strategic Reconnaissance!"

Blake managed to peer over her book, "Cheating."

"Tomato, potato" Yang countered with a cheeky grin.

"That's not how the saying goes..." Blake countered with a facepalm.

"But they're both delicious." Yang fired back.

"You're going to fail," Blake smirked behind her book.

Yang slumped down with a grumble almost like a five-year-old child. "Proofs. The entire test is all proofs." Pyrrha answered.

Yang immediately hugged Pyrrha, "This is why you're my favorite!" She stuck her tongue out at Blake

"What would it even matter?" Blake placed her book down with a smirk, "You're probably going to fail."

Yang's jaw dropped. "Wow…. that was… that was… brutally savage."

Ruby snickered, "She isn't wrong either…"

"MY OWN FAMILY TURNS ON ME!"

"So…" Pyrrha decided to alleviate the pressure on her blonde friend, "Anyone planning on attending the Homecoming dance?"

A gloomy Blake was first to answer, "Unfortunately, yes. Sun asked me."

"Really?" Yang perked up instantly realizing that she had the greatest opportunity to harass her friend. "But I thought you two weren't a thing."

The girl shrugged with a sigh, "Yeah… I don't know. He said he wanted to go just as friends…"

Yang smirked with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "You want more." She stated more than asked causing the rather stoic girl to blush. The raven-haired girl nearly smacked herself with her book, no doubt trying to hide her rosy cheeks.

The blonde girl patted the bookworm's back, "Ahh Sun is a nice guy!"

"We've already done this," Blake warned.

"And you had some time to think about it!" Yang countered.

"And what about you…?" Blake deflected the heat off of herself, "Who are you going to take?"

Yang tossed her head back in mock dignity, "No peons are worth my notice."

"Except for Jaune!" Ruby countered causing everyone to freeze. She totally just went there.

"No!" She blurted out defensively. "We're just friends." Though she flashed daggers at her cousin. Ruby knew not to go there, and she totally went there.

"As if…" Blake drew out with a chuckle, "I hear how you talk about him. I see how you look at him."

Now… here is where Yang notorious emotions got ahead of her. On pure instinct, she reacted, "Just because I live with him _doesn't_ mean that I _like_ him!" She seethed, her fist hitting the table.

If what Ruby said derailed everything, then what left Yang's mouth was like a nuke being dropped. "He's living with you?" Blake repeated questioningly.

The blonde shook her head fervently, "No! No… No! I didn't say that!"

Pyrrha's emerald eyes looked at the blonde then to her cousin. Ruby's eyes were filled with a definite fear. A fear of something that should not have been leaked. If only one of them were fast enough to contain the fallout.

"Why the hell is he living with you?" Blake almost sounded disgusted at the thought. "You barely even know him."

"He's my best friend!" Yang countered, her eyes flashing practical warning signs.

"How the hell is he your best friend…?" Blake narrowed her amber eyes. Something was off.

The redhead watched with trepidation as her longtime friend, without even saying a word, stood up and picked up her tray. Yang's heavy footfalls rang through the cafeteria causing a certain blue-haired boy sitting behind the girls to smile. A sinister smile crept in as he continued to listen.

Blake's amber eyes were filled with guilt. "I didn't mean… I don't-I just…the idea of a stranger of living with you… I mean Jaune's good guy and a friend-" She trailed off.

"But it's really _really_ unusual…" Pyrrha finished the thought, earning the nod of Blake. "The whole stranger living with you thing. That was my first reaction."

Blake nodded sorrowfully, feeling ashamed of her initial disgust. Now something else didn't add up. Amber eyes locked with silver eyes. "Ruby…"

The girl cocked her head like a bird, "Hmm?"

"You didn't even bat an eyelash…" Blake observed, "As if you already knew…"

Just like that, the little Rose turned into a nervous wreck as she rubbed her hands together, "Yeah… well… you see…. I… um…. Errrm."

"You knew, didn't you?"

…

...

The Rose meekly nodded, "Yeah… it was supposed to be a secret. It was more for the sake of our parents. Imagine what would happen if that rumor got out." Ruby explained, "IF that secret got out, imagine all of the rumors that would spread, our parents could lose their jobs, or worse…" She trailed off.

The raven-haired girl turned to the redhead, "You said when you _first_ heard. When?"

Pyrrha bit her lower lip with a look of guilt. "Awhile ago… during the summer."

She was the only one that didn't know. Why? Was she untrustworthy? "Everyone knew…" She thought out loud, "but me…?"

The redhead placed a hand on her shoulder, "Blake, don't think like-"

Blake slid away, "Like what? That my own friends can't even trust me. That's fine, leave me out of the loop. Am I not trustworthy?"

Ruby frantically shook her head and hands, "Blake! That's not it."

Blake stood up and collected her own belongings, "How long have we been friends?" She hissed. With anger in her heart, she stood up and left the table. It was time to confront the source of this new found anger.

* * *

The blonde's temper was notorious, in fact, beyond notorious. Now Yang was a popular girl, a lot of people liked her laid-back style, her pun's, her easy to get along with personality. It was a good combo in order to become a popular kid in the school, not to mention being on the varsity soccer team as a sophomore, which only added to her reputation. Yet with everything, there was also a darker side to the sunny dragon. Just as her name suggests, she was a dragon; she had the temper of the mighty beast. The poor fools that thought they could bully Yang Xiao-Long, or the slick boys that could make a move on her, were both out of their own leagues by a long shot. That being said, people in Newport High School knew to stand out of the angry blonde's path.

 _Thank God gym is next,_ the blonde thought to herself as her knee-high boots clacked on the floor.

"Yang," She heard her voice being called out which she paid no mind. Blake can go shove it.

"Yanggg!" Blake's voice rang louder

"Goddamnit." The blonde muttered upon the realization that she needed to stop at her locker to pick up her gym bag. She stopped by her locker fully aware that people were making their best effort to avoid her. Yet in reality, she just wanted to avoid Blake, she just didn't want to deal with that now.

It was harder to ignore the same girl who was leaning on the locker right next to yours… "Not now, Blake."

"Yang." The seriousness in Blake's voice almost caused Yang to look at her, yet Blake wouldn't receive that satisfaction. Her lilac eyes seemed fascinated with her own locker then one of her closest friends.

"You told everyone." Blake accused. "You told Ruby and Pyrrha?!" Blake hissed.

Yang was in no mood to deal with this when she slammed her locker, "So what? You think you can be a judgemental bitch? You don't get to talk shit about my friends, Blake."

"I didn't even say a fucking thing." Blake shot back.

"Uh. Yeah, you did." The blonde countered using air quotes "Why the hell is he living with you? Or how about 'How the hell is he your best friend?' Do you find that disgusting or something Blake, cause that's what you made it sound like."

"That is normal Yang. A fucking stranger comes into your home. How would react? But… hey, that's fine. I guess I'm not trustworthy enough, huh? But hey Pyrrha is your 'favorite.'"

Yang turned before her temper got the better of her and decided to walk away. "Guess I know where I stand, huh!" Blake shouted, "Guess I'm not a good enough friend! Fuck you, Yang. FUCK YOU!"

* * *

The blonde girl was still beyond pissed as she clutched her trembling hands together. Her hands just could not stop trembling after that whole ordeal in lunch. She thought she could beat it out of her in Gym. Clearly, she was wrong.

When it came to conflicts with close friends, the bitterness—the anger—does not evaporate as easily. This was something that Yang was experiencing, sure Yang had disagreements with her friends, but a full-on blow out event like this never happened.

Hell, she even decided to skip soccer, telling her coach that she was sick. The only thing she wanted to do was go home. She called her parents telling them that she was taking the bus home. Of course they asked what was up, but frankly, Yang didn't want to deal with anyone.

Sure she was angry with Blake and her initial attitude, but what was really sinking in, weighing her down, gnawing at her, was the fact she let out the secret out. She never did that. She never exposed secrets, yet here she did at lunch, in public. She exposed one, if not her closest friend's secret to the public, and not discreetly.

She was beyond furious with herself. She let her anger get ahead of herself, check. She lashed out at Blake, check. Called Blake a judgemental bitch. Check. Made sure that Blake questioned the value of their friendship. Check. Blake made valid points. Checkmate. It wasn't that Yang didn't trust Blake, far from it. She had an obligation to keep a secret. Ruby knew because well… Ruby was family. Pyrrha knew because Yang sought advice. Maybe she should have also told Blake? Then that would have broken his initial to Jaune not to tell Jaune. Yet she already broke that promise with Pyrrha. FUCK!

 _Fucking stupid._ Yang gritted her teeth as she got off the bus. Opening the front door, she hoped her mood would lessen up. No luck though. "Hey Yang!" Her father called from the kitchen.

"Hi." She grunted as she walked in, her heavy footfalls from her boots set the tone for her.

"You didn't answer any of my messages…" Tai turned around the from the counter. He rubbed his chin in worry.

Yang back was turned as she went through the fridge. Grabbing a can of soda, she cracked it open and took a long gulp. "I was at school. Kinda can't text in class unless _you_ want me to get detention..."

"Yeah… I mean no… of course I don't want you to get in trouble," Taiyang murmured to himself, "I suppose that makes sense."

Yang barely even looked at his direction as she went to grab a plate and make a snack. Silence filled the room as Yang grabbed an apple and started to slice into it. The thwack of the knife cutting through the apple hitting the plate was the only sound between daughter and father.

 _ **Thwack**_

 _ **Thwack**_

 _ **Thwack**_

She could feel his eyes on him as she grabbed the peanut butter and spread it on each slice of the apple. The question was just a matter of when.

"Wanna talk about it?"

There it was.

"No." Yang stated flatly.

"Did you hit someone…?" Tai narrowed his eyes. "Did someone start shit?"

Yang whirled around, her fists clenched at her sides, "No, dad, I did not _hit_ anyone." There was just no way to hide the bitterness in her voice. Though she really _reallllyyy_ wanted to hit something or someone. "Sheesh… way to assume the worst, huh?"

"Talk to me, what's up?" Tai sat down at the table hoping that his little sun dragon opened up to him.

"I said I don't want to talk about it." She grabbed her plate of apple slices and her soda and left the kitchen. "Does that ring any bells?"

* * *

Yang stared at her phone absentmindedly. There was a huge "disagreement" in the group that was set up. Basically, Blake told them all to fuck off, Pyrrha and Ruby were trying to talk to her, but Blake wouldn't respond.

Yang just stared absentmindedly as everyone tried to explain… well almost everyone.

 _R: Blake, we know you can see these._

 _P: Same goes for you, Yang._

 _R: Guys come on… talk to us…._

 _B: Why would I want to talk to any of you? It's kinda clear that I'm outside of the circle._

Lilac eye read that message over and over. _Outside of the circle. Outside. Of. The. Circle._

 _B: I know you can see that, Yang._

How could she even respond to that message.?

 _R: Blake… come on! We love you!_

 _P: You are one of our closest friends!_

 _B: Don't lie to me._

"Don't lie to me…" Yang lead out angrily. She sat up on her bed and furiously tapped her response.

 _Y: No one lied to you, Blake. It wasn't my place to tell._

 _B: No… but you told other people but that doesn't matter What gives? Are you replacing me for someone that you just met for like three months? We were friends since we were four! And here comes a stranger who you drop everything for! What the fuck is that kind of bullshit?_

 _Y: I didn't drop everything for him. Why are you being a bitch? So what? I talked to Pyrrha about it, it doesn't mean I don't trust you. I value you equally. The only reason I went to her was because she knew him! Why are you getting so hung up on this?_

 _B: Don't lie to me, Yang. I can smell the bullshit from here. You do NOT value everyone equally. Seems to me that I'm the low one on the totem pole and you pointed that out very VERY clearly. Fuck all of you. I guess years and years of friendship doesn't mean shit to any of you. I'm fucking done. Go fuck around with Jaune, clearly I'm not wanted anymore._

The next thing that she saw stunned her: _**Blake Belladonna has left the chat.**_

The last straw broke as her phone ended up across the room, its glass screen shattered and cracked. She was fuming, her cheeks red with pure anger, pure, unsaturated anger. God damn Blake Belladonna.

* * *

"So… if the weather holds up, the competition should be a go." Raven said as she opened the door.

Jaune nodded, "So does that mean…."

The women let out a sigh, "I'll ask Qrow."

Jaune shot her a cheeky grin, "You're the best," He said as he closed the door behind him.

"Hey guys…." Taiyang's dejected voice called from the living room.

The pair walked into the living room to see Taiyang absentmindedly thumbing through a magazine as the t.v.

"How's it goin, Tai?" Jaune offered cheerfully.

"Uh… well…" Tai sat up on the couch to see his wife looking down at him with a concerned look while Jaune shifted uncomfortably. "Well… Yang's kind of pissed about something."

"How angry?" Raven asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Really pissed."

 _Odd… wonder what it could be?_ Jaune thought to himself. This morning, she seemed pretty alright… alright for being a brain-dead zombie in the morning, but still, nothing was out of the ordinary. "Did she say what about?" Jaune asked.

The man shrugged, "No… but whatever it was… It's really bothering her."

Well, he knew what he had to do. "I'll go see what's on her mind." He said as he started to make his way to the staircase.

"Jaune… you don't want to do that…" Tai warned.

"Why?"

"Yang's temper… is notorious for being… well… she doesn't hold it in," Raven turned with a slight look concern, "It's better to let her cool down on her own."

Normally, Jaune should have—would have—listened, but it was Yang; He'd be damned if he let her wallow alone. It was his time that he returned the favor. Friends help out friends; friends stick together; friends don't let friends be alone.

He headed upstairs and stood before her door, a sense of trepidation ran through him as he listened in. Absolutely no sound.

He gave a short staccato of knocks.

"Go away," A muffled voice called from her room.

"Yang, it's me, Jaune."

There was a slight pause then a: "Go away… Jaune…" The voice seemed to sink lower. He hesitated by the door, debating if he should try and open.

His hand drifted closer to the round door knob.

Then he retracted his hand.

He was about to turn around when he heard a muted sniffle from beyond the door. That was enough for Jaune as he turned around and quietly opened the door slowly. "Yang?"

"What part of 'Go away,' did you not understand?" One of her eyes popped up from her pillow.

"I heard you…" He never got to finish that thought.

"You heard 'go away' and I wasn't fucking joking," Yang scowled.

That was a stab to the heart.

"What's wrong?" Jaune tried again.

"None. Of. Your. Damned. Business." She punctuated, "Get. Out."

Jaune blinked seeing this unusual side of Yang. He only experienced this form when he was in the hospital, but that was more from exhaustion. This time, Yang was hurting, hurting very bad. Taking a step back, he realized that maybe her parents were right. "Sorry…" He murmured

He closed the door, lingering a moment longer to hear a whimper from his best friend's room. "I warned you," Raven smirked.

Jaune turned to see the smirk slowly fade into a look of concern. "She didn't say, did she?"

He shook his head, "No she didn't…"

Raven walked up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, she didn't mean what she said…"

That might true, and Jaune knew it, but it didn't hurt any less. "Yeah…" He murmured as he went back to his room.

* * *

Yang's mind was slipping, bad. Losing all track of time, she was exhausted just by her sheer anger. She had no energy to watch t.v., to get on her computer, to play any video games. She was just done. She would check her phone… but you kinda can't do that when you break your own phone.

The whole thing with Jaune did not help in the least bit. She shouldn't have lashed out at him, he was perfectly innocent, and she knew it. She knew that he did nothing wrong, that he didn't deserve the anger, but how could she tell him what on your mind. 'Yeah, just basically ended my friendship because I told Pyrrha that you were living with us and I let it slipped. Oh and Blake basically views you as an outsider now.'

Yeah… that's a great conversation starter.

 ***Knock***

"Yang." She heard her mother's voice. "Can I come in…"

The blonde didn't want to budge from her bed, "Yeah…" She muttered dejectedly.

The door creaked open causing Yang to perk up slightly from her pillow. There, her mother stood with a plate in her hand, "You missed dinner…" Her mother observed as she walked in, "So I made your dad make you a plate…"

Yang heard her footsteps in the room and a small thud of the plate hitting her desk. A few steps again and she felt her bed sink in. "How is my little phoenix?" The blonde felt a hand go through her blonde locks of hair which helped to soothe her exhausted nerves.

Yet it didn't help with her guilt or shame, "Not good, Mom. Not good." The girl turned to her side, yet still unwilling to lift herself from her bed.

"What's got you down…?" Raven asked with concern.

"I…" Yang shut her eyes tightly, "I… might have ended my friendship with Blake…"

She expected her mom to practically berate her for her sheer stupidity, yet there was none of that. "You wanna talk about it?" She offered.

Just when Yang thought she couldn't let out any more tears, they flowed down causing her mom to rub her back reassuringly. "It's fine…. Just let it out…"

Yep… it seemed that there was indeed another dam that was waiting to burst. She sobbed into the pillow, clutching it tightly to her chest.

And she continued to sob. "I fucked up, Mom. I fucked up so bad…. I fucked over so many people… and I… I don't know what to do."

"What happened?"

"Blake hates me…. Jaune is going to hate me." She murmured as she tried to swallow the tears and fix the cracks in the dam.

"They don't hate you…." Raven reassured, "they can't."

"You don't even know what happened." Yang looked away.

"I don't need to know," Raven countered with a certain smug hum.

"I… I broke everyone's trust in me."

She felt a soft hand rest on her shoulder and lift her up into a sitting position. Yang almost fell apart again when she was brought into a warm and loving embrace. "What happened?"

"I told Pyrrha that Jaune was living with us…" Yang sobbed into her mother's shoulder, not able to see her mother's slightly confused look. "We were talking and the dance got brought up… Ruby said that I wanted to go to the dance with Jaune and I really don't want to… but Blake kept pushing it… and I and I…"

"Let it slip-" Raven connected the dots which Yang nodded to. The blonde shuddered at the fact that she confirmed that she breached Jaune's trust. She half expected her mother to berate her and say something absolutely horrible. Her heart thudded in her chest as she waited for the salvo to come.

Yang defended herself, "I didn't mean to! I was stressed out! Jaune was in a deep spiral, and I just-"

"Needed someone to talk to." Raven finished the thought as she rubbed her daughter's shoulder reassuringly.

"And Blake… figured it out and… she figured that Ruby and Pyrrha knew. I wanted to tell her, I really did, but I couldn't."

"She didn't take it well, did she?" Raven ran her hand through her daughter's hair as she did her best to soothe the girl's shot nerves.

Yang nodded with a sniffle, "She said I _replaced_ her with Jaune. That I didn't trust her because I didn't tell her. God… I'm a horrible friend. A horrible person."

She felt her mother grasp tighten pulling her in closer. "Don't say that. You made some mistakes, _but_ everyone does. I love Blake, but I think she overreacted."

Yang didn't budge.

"Just give it some time, honey. Things will come together. Blake will understand."

Yang couldn't understand that, though. There was a lot of bad blood between the two former friends, "What if she doesn't…?" Yang absent-mindedly asked

"Don't focus on what ifs. They only make things worse" Raven suggested.

Yang looked up at her mother, "Mom?"

She looked down with a warm smile, "Hmmm?"

"Do you think Jaune will be upset… If I tell him I told the others...?"

"Honestly… I don't think so." Raven tried to reassure her as she let go, "He's reasonable, more so than most adults."

Yang nodded feeling much better. "Thanks, Mom."

The woman scoffed, "Just doin my job. Eat up." She nodded towards the plate on the table.

With that, her mother was gone leaving her to her thoughts. The smell of enchiladas filled the room. With a sigh, Yang sat up from her bed and stood up, enjoying the pops of her bones and the loosening up of her muscles.

Wondering over to her desk, she picked up the plate and opened her door.

She lingered over by his door, taking a deep breath, seeing if she could hear anything. Nothing.

 ***Knock knock***

She waited for a response.

Silence.

 ***Knock. Knock.***

She heard a faint stirring, Within a few moments later, it revealed a rather surprised Jaune. "Yang… I…. uhhh…. Hi…"

Yang rubbed her arm as she kept her eyes towards the ground. "Hey… um… do you mind if I come in?" She asked hesitantly.

Jaune moved aside letting his fellow blonde inside the room. Yang looked around the neat and tidy as usual, his laptop on with a headset plugged in. He must have been listening to music.

"So… what's up?" Jaune asked wearily as he sat down on his bed while Yang sat in his desk chair.

The question… the ultimate question. "I'm sorry, Jaune. I shouldn't have snapped like that. I was just dealing with stuff. I just… if I had told you, I would have thought you would be mad at me… and I didn't want that."

"So you tried to push me away?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I was scared and angry." Young scratched the back of her head.

She watched Jaune stand up and walk over to her. He took her hand into his own causing her look up. Lilac and Sapphire intertwined. "Yang.." He said in a hushed, soothing voice, "There is no way I can be mad at you. You helped me through so much shit. You are literally my best friend. So what's up?"

God that stung so hard.

"Please…" Yang whispered, "Don't be mad at me"

"I won't," Jaune smiled, "I promise."

* * *

A/N

Hey peeps! I'm back with a new chapter and let me say that I had a nice little break… well the whole "nice" part might be me exaggerating but anywho.

I just want to thank all of you. I legit consider all of my readers my family and your support helped me get through a pretty rough patch (I'm exaggerating, the patch was scary bad.) I don't want to say I'm out of the woods now, but the seas have calmed a lot. So thank you, truly, from the bottom of my heart (if I even have one,) I appreciate it.

I'm not going to spoil anything about RWBY or how it ended, but I think after the conclusion, we needed Raven and Yang happy time bonding (even though it wasn't really happy)

Also… I hope Jaune can keep that promise.

And this fight between Yang and Blake? I don't like it when they fight :( How do you think it will change things? Do you think they can patch it up!

Love to hear from you guys, let me know your thoughts, reactions, predictions, any and all are definitely welcome.

P.S. I will also be working on a new story, Our Shadows, I want to get this off the ground, so if you're bored, give that a look.

Thank you so much and much love,

LordxSauron


	39. Chapter 39: Walking on a Dream

**Chapter 39: Walking on a Dream**

 **A/N Hi guys, real quick, there is a slight disconnect with the end of the last chapter and this chapter. I want to reassure that is on purpose. I just want you to remember that Jaune made a promise to Yang not to be mad and we will continue to visit that promise off and on.**

* * *

 _No... how could I be mad at Yang? She was my best friend. She told me that she talked to Pyrrha about it and that Blake found out about it. God... it caused a real mess that took a long while to sort out. At that moment, I reassured her with a hug._

 _However, promises become foggy over time as new things pop up, but that's a point for another time._

 _If anything, she should have been mad at me. I was the one who put her in that position. I was the one who caused a rift between friends, yet she reassured me that it wasn't the case._

 _So what did we do? We didn't pay it any mind. We reassured each other that it wasn't the other's fault (funny how guilt and blame work, huh?) The weekend was coming up, we'll worry about it next week. Weekends are time for fun._

 _Right?_

* * *

Jaune was cringing as the pair of red eyes stared at him. No backing down, though. After fighting this battle many times, he felt as if the walls were about to come down. "Come on…" He pleaded, "It's not like I'm actually going to be out there."

"No." Raven put her foot down. The woman was resolute as crossed her arms.

"Pleaseeeeee?" Jaune pleaded.

Another crack in the wall. She raised her chin definitely as she shut her eyes in a vain attempt to ignore him, "Nope."

"But I promised Weiss I'd be there."

The woman's crimson eye peaked open. Her posture loosened up from her chair until she exhaled with a shake of a head. "And you didn't ask me before-hand? Heck, even Qrow?"

 _Oopsy…_ _forgot to mention that he did say it was alright…_ "Well… he already okayed it."

She slapped her forehead in frustration. "I just can't win…" She muttered to herself, "Fine."

 _Yes!_

"But..."

 _No!_

"If anything comes up or-"

Jaune knew the stipulation all too well, "I'll let you know right away. I promise I will."

She smirked as she grabbed her latest book and kicked her legs up on her desk, "It's like you know." She said with a chuckle.

"You're the best, Raven."

The flattery was something that made Raven smile deep down, though she wouldn't show it. She knew how much he missed the band, the marching, the order, and the stability. It was something Raven could relate to when she was just a kid, during her own dark times. It was why she and her brother got into music.

"You don't look too happy…" He observed with an inquisitive look.

 _God damn it…_ She scolded herself. Why did he have to be so damn observant? _I'll tell him later._ Let him have tonight to himself, he earned it. It wasn't her place to put more trouble on her, and in her opinion, it could wait. "Oh, nothing…" She brushed off his concern, "Just thinking about my thesis."

Jaune wasn't an idiot; he knew when she was hiding something. Raven barely zoned out unless it was something serious, yet he decided to let it slide. "You know, at this rate, you're never going to get that thing done." He joked.

She rolled her eyes. "Perfection takes time," She countered, "That… and my advisor is on sabbatical for a year..." She murmured with a slight tinge of jealousy

Raven looked up at the clock. It was 3:45, the buses were gone, and school staff would be much more rushed to get a start on their weekends. The only people left would be the marching band. "Well get going." She shooed him off. "You know practice starts in fifteen minutes."

He gave a quick wave of the hand before hurrying out of the room. With him out of the room, her smile quickly evaporated. She didn't like withholding information especially when she promised not to. It would have been one thing if it were something light, but when it involved his mother, that was a whole other level.

She pulled her phone out to see a message from her brother.

 _Bird Brain: Did you tell him?_

She knew he wasn't going to be happy as she typed her own response.

 _Raven: Well ya didn't exactly tell me that you were goin to allow him to stay during the football._ She tried to counter the question. A few moments, later he got a reply.

 _Bird Brain: He's a kid, let him live life. Who are we to interfere with young love?_

She couldn't help but to chuckle.

 _Raven: Did he use the Weiss card on you?_

 _Qrow: Oh yeah. I'm assuming he did to you._

 _Raven: Yep, and no, I didn't tell him. I'll do it tomorrow._

 _Bird Brain: Fair enough. Get your butt down here._

Raven turned her phone off and grabbed her bag. She quickly tossed her two binders, two pairs of taped drumsticks, and her latest book, _The Southern Past_ , into her bag. Satisfied that she had everything she needed for the weekend. She gave a quick look at her room before hitting the lights and locking the door.

* * *

To say that no one expected Jaune to be at practice would be an understatement, and it was something that kinda irritated him. Being bombarded with well-wishes and 'hey, when you comin back?' was just something that bothered him after around three people. It bothered him greatly as he made himself past the countless bandies.

"Yep." He smiled

"Thanks," He tried to push through the crowd

"Missed you guys," He kept the smile on

"Uhuh."

"I don't know."

"Hey! Move it! Move it! Move it!" Jaune heard Cardin's voice through the crowd. Thankfully, the big fella was pretty good at clearing a path.

Seeing his opportunity, he followed Cardin through

"Band! TEN-HUT!" Velvet's voice filled boomed.

*CLAP CLAP CLAP*

Immediately, everyone—including Jaune— snapped to attention, their feets clicking to the ground all on the fourth beat. "Sheesh… I didn't think I'd have to use that when we're _NOT_ at practice."

The normally quiet and shy girl eyed everyone up before freezing in front of Cardin who she pushed aside. "Last time I checked, we don't try to suffocate one of our own. Give him some room people…. _Sheesh._ "

Her hazelnut eyes gave a quick up and down of Jaune, "You know, you don't have to stand at attention."

The blonde immediately eased up as he rubbed the back of his neck, "Old habits die hard," He confessed.

"At ease." Velvet ordered causing everyone to stand shoulder-width apart. "We've got five minutes before practice starts. I suggest you get your crap and be out on the field by then, or we'll spend more time doing basics, your choice. Dismissed."

That seemed to convince everyone that Jaune wasn't _that_ important. "Thanks."

Velvet shrugged casually as she watched all of the bandies gather their equipment. "The least I can do. Any idea when you're coming back?" She asked slightly hopeful.

Unfortunately, he'd have to dash those hopes. "I don't know…" He lamented.

Her frown deepened.

"But… I'm here, that has to count for something, right?" He offered

Velvet picked up slightly offering a weak smile, "That's half the battle." She said as she headed out the door. That only meant Cardin, Russell, and Weiss.

"Hey man!" Russell held his fist out.

"Sup." Jaune returned the fist bump, yet he was already distracted by the girl walking down the tiers of the band room.

"You really did decide to show," Weiss beamed as she leaned over the piano that rested on the ground tier.

Jaune rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish smile. "An Arc never goes back on his promise. How-"

He never even got finish the thought as he felt a hand tug on his arm. "Dude, you have to check out this new beat me and Russell made." The force of the larger boy left no room for negotiation. Jaune looked back at Weiss with a longing look.

Her look seemed almost passive as she shrugged. What stung was she didn't follow the boys. She just went back up to her chair and pulled out a book to read. The situation must be worse than what he expected. Worse then what Weiss let on.

"Dude, check this out."

So the two boys played, but he didn't really hear anything. All of the music went through one ear and out the other. "Sounds pretty good." He noted absentmindedly, "Hey, I have to go talk to Weiss. I'll catch up to you guys."

With that, he left a befuddled Russell and a stunned Cardin.

* * *

"AND WEST PINE SCORES AGAIN!" The announcer cheered as the bleachers roared with joy. This might be the first football game that the school won in over five years. The score was twenty-four to twelve.

"FUCK YEAH!" Cardin screamed at the top of his lungs earning a sharp glare from his instructor.

"Language." Raven hissed which went completely unheeded causing Jaune to snicker from his seat.

"AND A SUCCESSFUL FIELD GOAL KICK!" The announcer boomed again.

At this point, Jaune joined in with the cheering with Cardin and Russell. He could see Qrow's massive grin as he whispered something to Velvet a few bleachers down. The brunette donned her white gloves. "THE HORSE!" Velvet yelled at the top of her lungs.

"You wanna give it a go, man?" Cardin offered

His heart skipped a beat as if time had slowed down; his eyes stuck on the instrument. It had been a long time since he did anything remotely musical other than concert band and jamming out on the practice pad Raven had bought him. His were palms sweaty despite the cool, crisp air that kissed his cheeks on a rather refreshing autumn evening.

"Jaune?" He heard a distant Cardin call out.

He felt a hand on his shoulder causing his gaze to fall on his instructor and mentor, "Go for it. You need to shake off the cobwebs." She reassured him.

That was all he needed as he found himself draping the white-one piece harness over his body. His hands drifted over the Vic Firth carriers that held the sticks; His fingers wrapped around taped sticks. Everything felt as it should have felt, but just so much better, like a part of him was missing was finally—FINALLY— found.

From his position on the top row of the bleachers, Velvet—who was down five bleachers—was rather shocked which gave way to pure joy. "JAUNE!" She shouted, "TAP US OFF!"

 ***SNAP. SNAP. SNAP.*** She snapped her fingers at a constant tempo.

Once he had the beat, his body went on cruise control. No thoughts required, he just followed his memory.

 ***TAP tap tap tap TAP tap tap tap TAP tap TAP tap TAP TAP TAP TAP***

And just like that, the band followed the lead that he set as he followed Velvet's hands cut through the hand. And just like the good old times where he didn't have a care in the world. He swayed to the music as the world of pain and woes faded from existence.

 ***ChinkChinkChinkChinkChinkChink***

Nearly fumbling with his sticks from a jump scare, he saw Weiss with the crash symbols using them as almost like a high-hat.

It only gave him more of an incentive to get lost in the music as he swayed back and forth to the music when she was starting to get into the groove of things.

And just like that, it was getting to its end as Jaune left caution to the wind as his sticks glided across the multiple drum heads.

The white glove formed into a fist and did a quick, sharp circle to finish the song.

"Not bad," Raven smirked. "How'd that feel?"

After coming down from that slight adrenaline rush, he nodded with a fond smile as he brushed his hand up against the drum, "Like it's been an eternity."

"Dude!" Russell punched him in the arm. "I would have thought you were going to be absolute garbage."

"Gee… thanks… I think?"

"Cardin!" Raven called out to the boy sitting down in the bleacher.

"Yes, ma'am!" He stood up.

"How you feel about the snare?"

"Pretty good, ma'am."

"Take it. I don't feel like playing tonight." She said as she pulled the harness off, making sure it didn't get caught in her black-mane.

The broad boy rushed over like a kid on Christmas day. "Yes, ma'am!"

With snare strapped on Cardin rushed back and stood in between Jaune and Russell. "Three Musketeers are back!" Cardin grinned.

"Four." Jaune countered while his eyes drifted towards Weiss.

Yet the sentiment was lost on the other boys. "Sssssurrreeeee." Russell laughed.

Apparently, Weiss overheard and made her statement by holding herself tall and proud as she walked past them with her chin out at them. She took a seat on the other side of Jaune, shooting an innocent smile at Cardin and Russell, "Do you mind if I sit here?" She asked.

 _Well… you already are…_ He thought to himself. "No, not at all."

* * *

As was tradition, the band—including Jaune—stood at attention out of respect for the other school's band that performed.

Once their performance, though came third quarter break. "Alright guys, you know the deal, two minutes before the start of the fourth quarter." Velvet pointed at the clock on the scoreboard, "Have fun."

"You heard her," Raven shouted to her section, "Go get your junk food."

No one was going to go against those orders. As they made their way down the bleachers, he found Weiss by his side, though he wasn't against this. "You must have been practicing. I didn't expect you to be that good, no offense."

"None taken," He chuckled. "I've been practicing. Keeps my mind preoccupied, you know?"

"All too well." She said as they walked towards the concession stand.. "About five years ago, Winter bought me a vibraphone for Christmas."

Jaune looked towards her direction with a raised eyebrow. "That must have cost a lot of money."

She let out a giggle, "It did, but her justification was that she would rather hear that than my father's music." As if predicting what he asked, she answered: "Classical."

"I'm so sorry." Jaune chuckled.

Yet the mood shifted, "It was the only thing he would let us listen to. He always said that it 'inspired success. Everything else poisons the mind.'" Weiss smiled fondly from the past, "So one Christmas, Winter bought me the vibraphone with one stipulation, that 'I don't play like one of those boring snobs with their white powdered wigs."

"Well, I think you got the white hair thing covered." Jaune teased which earned him a scowl. "I take it you're not a fan of classical."

She huffed, "What gave you that idea."

"Just a slight guess… so what kind of music do you like?"

"Well…" She started.

"That isn't classical," Jaune finished.

"Nevermind." Weiss murmured.

"Really? Nothing..?" Jaune asked in astonishment as they finally reached the concession stand and waited in line.

The girl simply shrugged. "Well… my sister used to listen to… oh… who was he..." She tapped her chin as she tried to recall. "..Maxmoore…?"

He gave her a puzzled look, "Who?"

"He's a rapper."

 _Oh… oh… OHHHH nooooo…_ "Macklemore?"

She snapped her fingers, "That's it!"

How could someone so… rigid… cold…. Refined, even, listen to rap. RAP OF ALL THINGS! It was enough to give him a heart attack. "I…. uh… what? She listens to rap?" He managed to ask.

Weiss shrugged, "It was when she was younger… in college, just to anger our father. He would always barge into her room telling her to stop listening to that garbage. She would always counter, it takes a lyrical genius to rhyme."

"He barely even rhymes…." Jaune pointed out.

"Father doesn't need to know that." She giggled, "Besides, she always listened to the songs with some other instrument like the piano or brass instrument. She said it was the "new" classical."

Jaune only facepalmed himself as he shook his head, "Yeah… I don't think that counts as classical…"

They finally reached the front of the line, he pulled out his wallet and pulled out a five dollar bill, "Don't worry, I got yours covered."

"Jaune-" She started to protest.

He wasn't going to have any of that. He walked up to the counter where an attendee was taking orders, "Two hot chocolates, please." He handed the elderly man the money.

"That'll be three dollars." The man said as he took the bill. The man then pulled out two dollars from the money box. "And two dollars is your change."

Jaune took his change with a small, "Thank you." The two stepped to the side, waiting for their order.

"You didn't have to do that." Weiss huffed.

Jaune innocently shrugged, "Maybe I wanted to be nice."

Her guarded posture eased up slowly, "T-thank you." It was clear she wasn't used to this kind of treatment, which only made him question how Neptune treated her. Well, he already had an idea of how he treated her, and to be honest, it made his blood boil a scowl start to settle in.. "Jaune…?"

"Two hot chocolates!" The waiter called.

Jaune turned his head as raised his finger, "Give me one second. I think that's for us." The blonde boy retrieved a cup holder that held two hot chocolates. After thanking the waiter, he went back to Weiss as he handed his friend her drink.

"Thank you," She gave a small smile as she took a small sip.

"Not a problem." He returned the smile, "Now, were you going to ask something."

The white-haired girl nodded as her smile faded away. What was once a smile was replaced with downward turn of her lips, a look of almost nervousness. "Can you help me find some music that I may like. I need to keep it secret from my father, though."

 _Why would she be nervous about that?_ "So no screamo?" Jaune ruled out earning a giggle from the girl.

"I'm afraid not."

"I think we can manage without that."

"What was that song...? You let me listen to it on the bus after that one football game…?" She tried to recall with an inquisitive look.

That was definitely a song he could never forget, and he would always love for absolutely no particular reason. Definitely not for the fact that she fell asleep on him. "Kill Your Heroes by AWOLnation." He instantly recalled.

"Can we start from there?" She asked with a voice filled with a hint of excitement.

So the two of them discussed on what she might like. Screamo and metal were ruled out at least for now. Jaune automatically ruled out rap and classical. He considered country but decided that it wouldn't fit Weiss'... Personality. He concluded that she might actually enjoy something a little different. _Bad Suns._ One of his go-to classics. It was a good starting point.

"So, I'll make a playlist with different artists, and we'll go from there." He suggested.

"Thank you." Her eyes drifted to Jaune's cup. "Don't you like hot chocolate…?" She asked.

Jaune's eyes drifted down to the cup. It dawned on him that the cup turned cold. _Just perfect._ He took a quick gulp of the drink as he took in the sweet chocolate. "Nope." He popped the 'P,' "I like it when it's not hot."

He almost laughed seeing the utter confusion on her face. "That… that doesn't make sense." She tried to comprehend, "So you like chocolate and warm water…?"

He took another swig. "Don't ruin a good thing," He said as he wiped his mouth. His eyes drifted towards the scoreboard noting that they had one minute. "We should get back."

The two enjoyed their small talk as they made their way back to the bleachers. There she could see Raven talking with her brother. Velvet was cutting loose as she was planking across the laps of her friends, Cocoa, Yatsu, and Fox. "Weiss! Take a picture!"

Velvet handed her own phone to Weiss. Weiss turned to Jaune, "I'll talk to you in a bit?"

"Sure." He said as he headed up to his spot in the bleachers. There he found Cardin and Russell who were giving him a rather nasty stink eye. "Hey guys, whats up?" He waved in their direction.

"Nothing, man." Cardin shot a scowl in his direction.

"Uh…" Jaune searched for the right words. "How are you guys doing…?"

"You left us hanging." Russell crossed his arms, clearly not happy with Jaune.

He made his way and sat down on the bleacher, leaning out to get a good look at both of them. "What…?"

"Dude, you barely even talk to us anymore." Russell pointed out

"That's not true…." He tried to defend himself.

Now it Cardin's time to shine, "The moment Weiss breaks up with her boyfriend, you get fucking pussywhipped, and you barely acknowledge us."

 _That can't be true, can it?_ "Even when we do hang out, you aren't actually there. She replaced us."

"Guys come on she's just going through-"

"So what?!" Cardin shook head in a dumbfounded manner. "You don't ditch friends, man."

"I'm not-"

Russell shoved a sharp finger into Jaune's chest, "When was the last time we actually hung out? All you do is hang around her while we're just ignored. You say we're friends, but you don't treat us like friends." His finger dug in deeper, "You've changed. You're fucking pussy whipped."

Jaune's jaw dropped as he thought some kind of response. "It's not like that…. It's really complicated…"

"Fuck off, dude." Cardin stood up and shifted all the way down the bleacher leaving Jaune in the literal cold.

 _That wasn't true… was it?_ He thought to himself. He never really considered Cardin and Russell to be close friends. To be honest, that spot was reserved Yang and her gang. Before that, it was Weiss… until Neptune showed up.

At that point, he did hang out with Cardin and Russell during the school year… then the Summer Incident happened. After that, he fell off the map. Since the start of the new school year, he kept to himself. Occasionally talking to other classmates to keep up appearances, but in reality, he was pretty comfortable being the 'lone wolf.' Jaune was always of the mind of quality over quantity.

That didn't mean he shunned or disliked Cardin and Russell. Far from it. They were pretty cool guys when they weren't bagging on Weiss. "You're alone."

He looked up to see Raven climbing the stairs.

"Yeah… yeah, I am." Jaune sighed as he looked towards Cardin and Russell who seemed pretty content without him. It wasn't his place to butt into Weiss' friend group either, so alone was his only option.

His instructor sat beside him, rubbing her hands in an attempt to stay warm. "Spill it."

He sighed, "It's nothing. Really."

"Considering how you were just sitting with Cardin and Russell, I'd say not really."

He looked at her, "You really do see everything, huh?"

Her crimson eyes flashed towards him with a sly smirk. "Kind of my job, don't you think?" She shot back an amused chuckle.

Jaune shrugged as he watched the game, "It's nothing. Just high school drama."

"Well, even small things can snowball if left unchecked" Raven noted sagely.

Jaune knew deep down that she was right, her advice was sound, but it was all the more valuable. "I won't let it spiral out of control, I promise."

The two teams smashed into one another trying to get an edge over one another. "Sometimes it doesn't matter. Things will happen if you want them to or not."

"Alright mommmm…." He drew out teasingly.

The mood instantly shifted. He could feel something in the air as silence filled the air. Despite the crowd cheering due to an impossible Hail Mary throw, it felt like he was an isolated box. His blue eyes drifted toward Raven who had almost had a guilty—if not pained—look on her face.

…

…

She bit her lip as a brow furrowed as if something were on her mind. "I… um… I'm sorry… I didn't…"

"It's fine. Just a joke." She finally spoke, she tried to muster a half convincing smile, it failed though. "Just a joke…"

And just like that the mood went from bad to complete shit as he felt like he just alienated himself from the one last person that he thought he could feel attached to.

" _SCCCCCCOOOORRRRREEEE! WEST PINE GETS ANOTHER TOUCHDOWN!"_

Everyone roared, except for a dejected blonde teen and a conflicted Raven.

* * *

The night dragged on. Oh how did it drag on. Isolated from his traditional friends, not wanting to get in between Weiss and Velvet, and pissing Raven off, he spent the night all by himself. Now he watched all the others file out of the band room. Cardin and Russell intentionally stared at him as they left.

He, of course, waved to them only to get the cold shoulder.

"Hey," He heard Weiss' voice approach.

"Hi." He greeted, trying to put on a friendly smile.

Weiss sat down as she took out a handkerchief and patted her forehead lightly to rid herself of sweat. "I'm sorry… I should have spent more time with you."

Jaune gave a wave of the hand as he laughed her concern off. "Don't worry 'bout it. I had fun."

She gave a knowing look as if her glacier blue eyes pierced right through the charade. "Jaune…"

"Really. I had fun," He put on his poker face. "First win in the past six years?"

"Never took you for a sports fan," Weiss observed.

"I love football." He mentally held his breath.

Weiss smiled as she stood up, "I'll text you later tonight?" She asked as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeppers."

Though her hands broke off contact, their eyes didn't, which filled him with a certain warmth. That feeling didn't last long when she left the room to go home. That warmth he felt slowly deflated.

It came to a crashing feeling when he saw Raven walk out of the office with a semi-concerned Qrow.

"I'll see you guys later," Qrow tried to smile.

"Yeah," Raven responded curtly. Jaune immediately grabbed his bag and stepped to the side.

"You good?" She paused to look at him.

He nodded meekly. Her gaze was just overpowering right now; it made him feel like an ant under a magnifying glass. He felt his guardian's frustrations as they walked down the hallway and out into the parking lot.

No words were just exchanged as they got in the car. He slid in as if a shadow trying to avoid the sun. Raven's hands went up to the wheel; her index finger tapping methodically.

 _Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap._

Her imposing posture collapsed as she sank into her car seat with a sigh and a shake of the head. "I'm sorry Jaune. I shouldn't have reacted like I did during the football game." She confessed as she stared at herself through the rearview mirror.

He felt her gaze upon him, yet he couldn't muster the strength to look in the eye. "No… I shouldn't have said that… It's my f-"

"Stop. Alright." Her punctual voice cut him off suddenly, "Just stop. It's not your fault. It's mine. I should have told you right away, but you were happy, and I didn't want to ruin that." She confessed, "I just… felt like I was in a bind… _again._ "

 _Ohhhh._ If his sneaking suspicion was right….

"Your mom wanted to get ahold of you. She's been trying to reach out to you for awhile."

Bingo. Bright lightbulbs popped on in his mind.

"I just… You reacted so badly, and I wanted you to stay happy, you deserved that." She brought her hand to her cheek with a slight shake of the head.

Yet there was more.

"I promised her I'd look after you as if you were my own. That is a promise I will keep. I just… I just don't know." She sighed.

 _She feels guilty about something_ , Jaune thought to himself as he fidgeted with his hands. "I… uh… well… Thanks. I really do appreciate it." He wasn't lying, not in the least bit, but how was he supposed to react to it. It was the proof he needed that he was actually officially apart of the family. Though, it wasn't directly implied.

"Jaune, I'm not your mother." Raven pointed out as she stared ahead absentmindedly, "It's not my place to replace your mother, but you're my son, you will always be my son."

Without any hesitation, he leaned and wrapped his arms around her. He could feel Raven immediately tense up from shock, yet he felt an arm around him. "I'm sorry, a lot was on my mind."

He only squeezed harder to signal that all was forgiven. "I'll talk to her, but I want to stay with you guys if that's alright."

"We've already been through that, of course, it's alright," Raven reassured him with a smile.

Jaune let go as a warm feeling swept through him, "You guys will always be my real family."

 **A/N**

 **I'm back guys... again... rip. Not going to say what happened except for losing friends, writer's block, writing 40 pages of stuff (different starts and ideas of where the chapter was going) and deciding to cut it... it just kinda wiped me.**

 **So it's official the relationship between Raven and Jaune is officially stated in words (and no... not like that you pervs who might have thought something else lol). It was always assumed, but I wanted to put into words. It's one thing to feel, but to have that conversation can be so different and reveal a great amount of conflict within an individual.**

 **Now Cardin and Russell aren't on the Jaune train... sounds pretty typical to me... gotta love that high school drama.**

 **But you know I have to end things on a happy note.**

 **So I want to get back into the groove of things so bear with me people.**

 **Also... I have discord up, pm me and I'll send you a link.**

 **REVIEWS!**

 **0miicron: Hey man, I'm really touched by that mate. Thank you. P.S. I like that idea... a lot... lmao**

 **LemonCakes: Life is rough, ups and downs just like the ocean.**

 **Guest: Thanks mate! I find it hard to keep it original at times, but cliches are unavoidable. Yo dude, I'm honored, I hope you enjoy the program! It's hard but extremely rewarding.**

 **Big Gad Beowulf: Thanks mate! That fight will be important, and promises are easy to keep at first, though over time, things can get foggy.**

 **Narutofan876: Alright, bud, you do you man.**

 **MorgothII: Glad to be back!**

 **Loki Hvedrungr: Thanks for the review, I'm really honored that you like the story so far, I hope I don't let you down.**

 **The ScarecrowWriter: I appreciate it, man! I really do.**


	40. Chapter 40: A Million Ways

**Chapter 40** : **A Million Ways**

* * *

 _Yes... I agreed to meet with my mother. On the way home from the football game, I told Raven I would meet her whenever it was convenient. Unfortunately, she was able to get ahold of everyone that night and set up something for Saturday morning._

* * *

Jaune stared through the mirror trying to center himself. A lot was going through his mind: Yang, Cardin and Russell, Weiss, and now his mother, all in one week. Now he was starting to have second guesses as to what he was actually doing, not only with this but with everything.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" Yang asked with a yawn. He looked

Jaune shook his head, "No… Not really." He murmured as he splashed some water on his face. Saturday… a day to sleep in… or so the stereotype goes. "You?"

Yang shrugged, "Got enough."

"You know, you don't have to come. I appreciate it and all, but still, it's going to be tense…"

"It's the least I can do."

"Yang… that's not what…"

"Jaune, shush. I'm coming, that's final."

Jaune rolled his eyes but didn't try to fight it. He accepted the fact it was pointless trying to fight Yang when her mind was set. It would have been a losing battle, pure and simple. "Thanks, I appreciate it."

The two blondes made it downstairs as Raven stood by the kitchen sink whispering in hushed tones with her husband. "Are you sure you don't want me to come?" Tai whispered.

"Everything will be fine. Summer will be there on patrol." Raven reassured him.

Tai placed a hand up on top of her's, "That's not my point."

Raven eyed him up, "The more we have, the more it'll seem like we're ganging up on her. I'd prefer that not be the case."

Reluctantly, Tai nodded in agreement. He tapped her shoulder causing her to give him a questioning look. Tai subtly nodded towards the hallway.

"Morning guys!" Tai tried his best to do a one-eighty from his serious moment.

"Hi Dad." Yang tried to play it off as they didn't hear anything.

"Hey Tai," Jaune smiled.

Raven took a swig from her orange juice and put it in the sink. "Guess we'll get going now. You two ready?" She turned to face them.

Both of them nodded.

For Jaune, it was almost like an out of body experience as he walked out of the house. From all of the shows he had seen, the prisoners on death row would have experienced the same thing. An almost surreal sensation overtakes you as you walk to the one location that you did _not_ want to be. Though it didn't mark his death, it felt like he was confronting the horrible past and all the decisions he and others had made to lead to this very moment.

He found himself in the car, buckled up of course, in the back with Yang. Soon enough, the floor underneath him started to vibrate as the engine of the car came to life at the turn of a key.

What would happen? What would his mother say or want? What could his mother say or want? How would he react? How would he react? Would his darker side get out? Would he turn his back on his own mother? What about his new family? He owed them so much; he didn't want to turn his back on them, yet wasn't he constantly draining them financially, let alone emotionally? Weren't their lives simpler before he entered the picture?

God, these questions made his mind spin. He was starting to get overwhelmed as he tried to picture each question plethora of answers. Anytime he thought an answer; it led him to a new series of questions and new set of answers that did not alleviate the mental burden.

He felt pressure on his hand causing him to swim out of the murky depths that was his mind. Sapphire eyes drifted to his hand to see another hand on his own. It was giving a rather formidable but comforting squeeze. He looked up to see a pair of very worried lilac eyes.

"How you holding up?" She asked.

"I'm alive," He murmured.

Another squeeze, " _W_ _e'll_ get through it, _together._ " She emphasized which made him smile.

"You have Yang and me," Raven chimed from the driver seat who gave a glance through the rearview mirror. "Not to mention Summer who is on duty. Everything will be fine."

"That isn't what I'm worried about," Jaune muttered causing Raven and her daughter to look at one another with concern.

* * *

They reached the New Bloomfield diner in the center of town. Just as promised, a police car was parked right in front of the building. Parking beside the car, Jaune could see a rather familiar Summer Rose in her dark blue uniform.

She flashed a warm smile and energetic hand wave as everyone exited out of the vehicle. "Hey Summ," Raven greeted, "Everything ready?"

Summer's smile faded and was replaced by the professional police officer. "Yep. I did a run through of the area; no sign of _him._ Mrs. Arc is waiting inside. I'll keep my distance and keep an eye on the entrance in case we have an unwanted visitor."

Raven nodded approvingly, "Thanks Summ."

"I really do appreciate it, Officer Rose…" Jaune realized he messed up when Summer to puff her cheeks out, "Ermm I mean Summer! For all of the effort."

Summer patted him on the shoulder with a beaming smile, "Glad I could help."

Her silver eyes drifted up to Yang which caused her jaw to drop. "Yang?! What are you doing here?" She practically gasped.

"Motivational support." The blonde girl shrugged innocently, "Just wanted to help."

"Rae, I'm telling you, she'd be a good cop. I'll take her under my wing…"

"Hell no." Raven waved a dismissive hand, "Don't suggest such a dumb thing."

The police officer merely stuck her tongue out in response.

With the four of them inside, they found their target sitting at a table in the corner of the lightly populated diner.

His eyes zeroed in on the target; there was no way Jaune could mistake her mother.

When they approached, he was rather surprised with her physical appearance, her sunken in eyes, her elastic skin, were gone. She had soft, vibrant emerald-sapphire eyes that complimented the white shawl she wore. Jaune was shocked that she looked fifteen years younger.

She stood up, "Over here, everyone."

Jaune felt his hand clench up into a fist until Yang intervened yet again. Yang's hand had an almost calming effect on him. Seeing his mother brought him back to the Summer Incident, yet Yang's hand was a literal lifeline for him. His very dear friend was suppressing the pain of the past. He glanced up at her to find that her gaze wasn't on him, but on his mother.

He noted that Summer stayed towards the back trying to be casual, though a police officer is hardly unnoticeable.

"Officer Rose! Please join us!"

Summer looked at Raven questioningly who was just as befuddled. Silver eyes went to Jaune who nodded. Summer had every right to be here as well. She was family, after all.

Josephine Arc embraced her son "God, Jaune… I've missed you… I… It's just been so long." The idea of being embraced by this sham made him nearly disgusted. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction of returning the embrace.

 _Clearly, not long enough_.

Without missing a beat, she broke off and held him, "You look good."

 _No thanks to you._

"Mrs. Branwen." She moved on and embraced the woman. To Jaune's shock and anger, Raven returned it, and it wasn't a half-assed hug either.

 _What the literal fuck are you doing, Raven?_

"Officer Rose." Josephine held out her hand which Summer took, "thank you."

"No. Thank you." Summer countered.

And just like that, Jaune watched Yang and his mother meet up. "And who is this young lady, Jaune? Is this a possible girlfriend."

 _None of your concern,_ He mentally spat.

"No. She's my daughter." Raven countered.

"I see the semblance."

"And I'm a very good friend of Jaune." Yang stood her ground.

"Right well we should probably take our seats then." Josephine offered. This time, they found themselves sitting at a table. Though, Summer had one eye constantly trained on the door. "It's good to catch up."

Every fiber of Jaune's being screamed. "I'm not here to 'catch-up,' _mother._ What do you want?"

She looked rather stunned.

Oh but he wasn't done. No, he was just getting started.

"I'm not here for you. I owe it to Raven to meet with you, that's why I'm here. Say what you want to say so I can leave." Jaune snapped back ferociously.

Yang's ever calming hand reached out causing him to settle back into his seat.

An awkward silence fell upon the table while Raven cleared her throat. "Well… obviously there is some tension here, but I think we should," her gaze fell upon Jaune, "let cooler heads prevail."

 _Cooler heads my ass._ Yet it was the least he could do.

"But we need to address some things." Raven continued. "Jaune, you can't be this confrontational."

Snap.

"BULLSHIT I CAN'T!" Jaune stood up from the table causing a scene. Thankfully hardly anyone was here. His fiery ire was directed at the woman he dared call his 'mother.' "DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO ME?!"

"I.." she stammered but never got finish the sentence.

Jaune didn't want to hear excuses. He made his way to the door and slammed it open leaving a stunned table.

Everyone looked at one another trying to understand the sudden backlash. Yang, on her part, was already angry. Very angry. She didn't enjoy seeing Jaune getting angry or upset… but this? It made her blood boil. She was looking at the source of that unbridled rage.

Yet his mother wasn't holding herself triumphantly, it looked like she was on the verge of tears, and that made Yang's stomach upset like from drinking bad milk.

Summer immediately stood up, "I got this. I'll be right back."

* * *

Jaune was a hot wreck right now. He lost temper, and he lost it bad. He needed to get out; he needed away from this. He paced back and forth on the cobblestone sidewalk ignoring the passersby. Despite getting away from that entire situation and getting a breath of fresh air, it still wasn't enough to clear his mind.

His body forced him to take a seat on a bench as his heart pounded in his head.

It was pounding to the point that he failed to hear Summer approaching. "Hey there." She greeted as she took a seat.

Jaune didn't say anything as the just sat there. Slowly, his pulse started to come down from the adrenaline-inducing situation.

"I know you're angry.." Summer started

Jaune rolled his eyes. _Understatement._ "I assume you're going to tell me that I shouldn't be…" He spoke up.

Summer shook her head as she brushed back one of her auburn bangs. "Nope." She popped the 'P,' "You have every right to be mad. Hell, I'm mad for you." Summer voice fell off slightly. "I should have done more."

Jaune looked at the officer, whose light-hearted, almost bubbly personality was gone. "You know, in my profession, I may never come home when I walk out that door. I could pull someone off the road… and well... bang," She snapped her finger, "I'm dead. Hell, I can kick down a door and be on the receiving end of a shotgun blast. You never know these days." Summer admitted sadly as they both watched the cars drive around the roundabout.

"So… why? Why do you do it?" Jaune finally spoke up.

"My dad was a cop, that's a part of it. He helped get some of my best friends out of some real some messed up shit."

Jaune nearly did a double take hearing Summer swear. "Raven and Qrow?"

Summer nodded, "Yep, I saw what he did and I want to do that for others." She explained. "It's about helping people. Knowing that I can help someone is a reward in of itself. I like helping people, Jaune; it's what I do…" Her voice trailed off

"...and I didn't help you that night."

 _But… but she did…_ "But you arrested him…"

Summer pulled her legs in, sitting Indian style. "It's true," She admitted without making eye contact, "I did arrest your father. But… I let you down. I could have gotten you out of that godforsaken house that night. I saw what happened, and I'm going to assume that things like that happened more than once…" Her voice trailed off.

Jaune let out a sigh, "My parents fought, and I was pushed around, but it was the first time it escalated like that."

Summer nodded like she knew, "I figured. That isn't a of thing. I knew that if your father came back, there would have been a chance that it would have happened again… if not worse." Her shoulder sagged from all of the guilt, "I'm sorry Jaune. I should have gotten you out of that house. All of the evidence was there. I could have done something, anything."

"But you listened to my mom…" Jaune drew out.

His eyes went wide. It was a realization. _If Summer had gotten me out of that house that night, there was no way I would be with the Branwen Xiao-Longs._ It struck him. Fate, God, Coincidence, Luck. He was dealt a shitty hand, and by a miracle, he came up with a semi-jackpot.

"I'm sorry Jaune," Summer breathed. "I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but I'm glad I didn't do anything. I wouldn't have met… hell, Raven and Qrow would have probs lost you. You've done a lot for Ruby. Don't even get me started with Yang. My mistake made you an essential part of the family."

Jaune was speechless as he eyed Summer up and down. There was no mistaking the guilt in the short woman. While she pleaded for forgiveness, she taught him something valuable.

Something incredibly valuable.

No, he wasn't going to be completely dismissive of his mother. He'll incredibly weary and skeptical, but outright dismissive? No.

"Summer."

Two guilty silver eyes looked at him.

"I forgive you, but I'm glad you didn't either."

He saw a tear roll down her cheek as a shaky smile started to form. "I won't force you to go back in. If you want to go home, then I'll take you and let the others know."

Jaune shook his head as he stood up. "No.. we're here, we've already ordered our food, it'd be a shame to let it go to waste."

 _We can't know the future. It is impossible. While 'what-ifs' are fun to think about, they are ultimately just dreams. One mistake can lead to success; one mistake can lead to more mistakes. One success to can lead to more success or lead to more mistakes. We can't know unless you take that leap forward. That leap can be a small hop or a dive off a cliff._

 **A/N**

 **Heyo guys! How are my peeps doing? Feels like it's been awhile huh? (What? A week? Bit more? Idk…) Anywho… got another chapter here…**

 **So what do you think is goin to happen?**

 **REEEEEEEviews**

 **Tronmaster5074: Good to see ya mate! Always a pleasure! I take pride in the fact that my Raven is better xD As for show Raven… I guess we'll have to see (fingers crossed)**

 **Killkill: It. HAS. BEEN FOREVER! How are you doing?! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. Not going to lie, those are some of my favorites scenes to write lol, glad you're enjoying. I hope I didn't keep you waiting long!**

 **Merendinoemiliano: I hate to say it, but if I do, it won't be for awhile. Just want to really get swinging on this for a bit. Sorry mate. Glad you enjoyed the chapter though.**

 **Yexius: I'm all too familiar with the misconceptions of Columbus and Spanish rule over the Americas. Unfortunately, teachers have to teach the state's and school's curriculum which tends to paint things with a lighter touch… then again these are my thoughts on the system… but let's not get into that. If you do, send me a pm and I'm more than willing to talk about that stuff.**

 **King Kaju VI: Glad you enjoyed the chapter. I know the feeling… when I first started, it just felt stale… but right now it feels right, you know what I mean?**

 **Loki Hvedrungr: I love thickening the plot :) Glad you enjoyed it so far.**


	41. Chapter 41: The Coming Storm

**Chapter 41: The Coming Storm**

 _It's hard. It's hard to confront your demons of the past. It's still not easy to come to terms with. No matter how hard I try to put the past behind me, it seems to catch up with me. At first, it loomed over my head like a guillotine ready to behead me._

 _Over the years, with the help of others, I've learned that the past shouldn't control me. The past shapes me, yes, I can't argue that, but it doesn't need to control me._

 _I came to this realization this was through years of sorting through my problems and emotions. How are we ever supposed to have that revelation, that epiphany, in our darkest hour? How can we not fall into despair and not bother to get back up on our own two feet?_

* * *

Even with the support of others, when we face our nightmares, there's always a chance of breaking.

Jaune's heart was pounding as his trembling hand grabbed a napkin to wipe his brow of the sweat that rolled down.

Qrow skulked around the kitchen pacing with a hard expression. It was clear he was lost in his own storm of thoughts.

Taiyang tried to keep a positive attitude with Summer as they tried to lighten the mood, though there was no hiding the fact that it was just a mere show.

Raven, like her usual self, was in her own mind thinking of the different myriad of different possibilities. She wanted to have a contingency plan every conceivable event.

Yang watched all the adults with some curiosity; each one had their own way of dealing with stress. However, one thing popped into the forefront of her mind, who was this man that terrified all of them? She tried to imagine the beast that caused so much anxiety for everyone.

Jaune could see the worry on everyone's face. Even if they tried to hide it or were in their own worlds, they were all in this state of being because of one reason. Him. He did this.

Despite all of the calmness, the waiting is what got to Jaune the most. It was always the waiting that got to you. Waiting makes you think, and at this point, thinking was not what the doctor ordered. Jaune leaned over to Yang to whisper, "Hey… Ruby is going to be fine? Like I don't want her to feel left out… but I don't think it was necessary for her to be here."

Yang nudged him with her shoulder, "Yeah, she's fine; she's spending the day with Pyrrha while they talk to Blake."

Jaune nodded, "I see… that'll be a tough one."

Yang easy-going attitude faded when she rolled her eyes, "Yeah… don't remind me."

"So should we go over the plan?" Raven spoke up, interrupting the conversation between Yang and Jaune. It seemed she was finally roused from her mental musings.

"Ughhh… we've been through it multiple times." Taiyang moaned as he perched himself on the kitchen counter.

 _ ***BANG***_

A clap of thunder rang out, a fist hit the table causing all eyes to fall upon Summer. Her chirpy attitude evaporated into thin air as if it never existed. "And we will keep going through it. I don't want us to be fucked over by careless mistakes," Summer glared at Tai who was utterly stunned.

 _Odd…,_ Jaune thought to himself, _She taking this very seriously._ It almost gave him the confidence to deal with the meeting.

The police officer turned to face them with a look of pure determination. "I won't fuck up again. Not again. _This. Will. Run. Smoothly._ Everything will be accounted for. There will be no external factors. This will be _perfect_."

There was a pause in the room as everyone stared at the woman. There was a thick cloud of tension that filled the room. "Summer," Her husband spoke up, moving closer to her, "You didn't-"

The police officer recoiled, "Don't tell me that I did not fuck up, Qrow. We're extremely lucky that I screwed the pooch on this one, and Jaune came out better for wear. However, I have to live with that mistake." Her silver eyes flickered to Jaune, "There will be no mistakes, not this time; that is the least I can do for Jaune."

"Alright…" Taiyang intervened as he held his hands up defensively, "Let's go over the plan."

* * *

Summer left the house in the police cruiser with Qrow. Thankfully, Summer's boss was rather loose when it came to the use of the local department's equipment. It also helped that Summer was a literal angel ninety-nine percent of the time.

"Summ…" Qrow murmured from the passenger seat.

"I'm sorry… I let my temper get ahead of me." Summer confessed as she gripped the steering wheel tightly.

Qrow snorted, "Yeah, Rae's rubbing off on ya, huh?"

Summer giggled, "I guess so."

"Are you nervous?" Qrow asked.

"I'm always nervous. That's a part of the job, prepare for the worst; hope for the best, ya know?"

Qrow nodded in agreement.

About twenty minutes later, they arrived at the police station with a tall imposing blonde woman in the same uniform as Summer. Summer and Qrow got out of the car. "Hey Glynda," Qrow greeted nonchalantly.

"Qrow," The stern woman gave a sharp nod.

"Thanks again, Chief. I really do owe you," Summer murmured in a hushed tone as she shuffled uncomfortably.

The woman pushed her glasses up to study her officer. "No need to thank me. You rarely ask for anything and you're one of my best officers, it's the least I can do. Though, what is this about?"

The husband and wife looked at one another as if debating to tell her.

"A sensitive matter?" Glynda observed.

Both of them nodded.

"Say no more. I trust your judgment, Summer."

"One more thing, boss…" Summer looked up, praying to God that he was on her side, "I'm going to need the security footage in the conference room deleted."

The police chief didn't budge an inch as she looked Summer. The pounding in her ear was too much for Summer to bear as she started to feel sweat forming on her brow. Finally, her boss nodded.

"Say no more, Just don't make me regret it."

Summer gave a crisp salute, "Yes Ma'am."

"Thanks, Glyn," Qrow stuck out his hand as the chief took and gave a firm shake.

The married couple made their way into the small police station, walking past the main counter and into the conference room. Qrow closed the door as Summer flopped onto the chair letting out a shaky sigh. She lifted up two shaky hands and willed them to stop but to no avail. "You did well," Qrow tried to calm her nerves.

"Qrow… I really… I" Her voice trembled as her thoughts raced, "This could all backfire. What if Glynda asked…? What if she finds out? Raven… Tai… They could be arrested…" She kept going, "Yang would be put up for foster care… I'd ruin her life… their lives… Everyone… this was a horrible idea... That's not even to mention us! You'll lose your job! I'll be tossed out of the force, Ruby... she'd be the disgrace of the entire community... I can't..." She shut her eyes.

She felt two firm hands rest on her shoulders causing her to look up to see her husband stare down at her. The fear melted away. "Summer. I get it. A lot could go wrong, but it didn't. We can't think like that. We need to keep it together. Yeah? Besides... I think Glynda would be on our side."

Summer smiled; that's the man I married. She shot up, planting a kiss on his lips, "I love you."

Qrow smiled, "Love you more."

* * *

Jaune balled and unballed his fist as his eyes stared into his meaty fist. _What will he do?_ The thought echoed in his mind. _What will he do? What will he do? What will h_ _e do? What will he do? What will he do?_ As much as he wanted beat back or bury the thought, he couldn't. It just constantly repeated itself in his mind, squirming through any crack he tried mentally erect.

"Hey…" He heard Yang's voice causing him to look up.

Right beside him in the car, sat Yang, whose concerned eyes observed him. He felt a pang of guilt. "Yeah… I'm fine." He gave a hushed laugh.

Yang's eyebrow quirked up, "Yeah… 'fine' my ass. You're not alone, Jaune, we're all here. We're all here for you," She placed a reassuring hand over his own trembling one.

He wanted to believe that. He desperately wanted to believe that, but there was a part of him that couldn't. How could he? How could he ever believe her? Right at the moment, he felt so alone. He thought he was in massive, pitch-black cavern on a small little pedestal.

He mentally scoffed. Sure they might be here, but how the hell could even possibly understand what he was going through right now? _Stop it_ , he berated himself, _they deserved better._ He wasn't going to let his own thought turn against them now.

Soon enough, they reached the police station as Taiyang pulled into the parking spot. As soon as the car shut off, Jaune's heart spiked upward. Raven pulled out her phone and quickly tapped away a message as Tai drummed his fingers on the steering wheel.

Soon enough, Summer emerged through the door in police officer uniform. Raven turned her head looking back to Jaune with a genuine look of concern. "Are you sure you want to do this? We can still call it off if you want."

God, did he want to take her up the out she was giving him, yet he shook his head, "Nope, we're here." Jaune sighed, "Might as well do it now."

Raven nodded with a faint smile. "Everything will be fine."

She turned back around and got out of the car. Jaune was surprised to see Tai was already out and opened Jaune's side of the vehicle. "Not a lot of people would be able to do this, Jaune. I'm proud of you."

Jaune stepped out of the cars, "No one should ever have to go through any of this." Jaune countered neutrally.

"True." Yang sadly agreed.

"Are we set?" Raven asked Summer.

She nodded, "Yep… just waiting on the others, come on, might as well get comfortable."

With that, Summer led through the station. Jaune was surprised that no one was here. "How did you manage this?"

"Technically dispatch is here, but everyone else is on patrol. We have the station for a few hours. Thankfully Newport's police force isn't that big." Summer explained as she moved beyond the reception desk and down the hallway.

They arrived in a conference room, a simple room, white walls, white ceiling lights, oak oval table with numerous chairs around it. Off in the corner stood Qrow, "Sup guys."

"Qrow." Raven acknowledged.

"Bird-brain," Tai teased.

"So we're all here…" Summer sat down at the end of the table closest to the door. "Doing good so far…" She muttered to herself more so than to anyone in particular. Jaune moved the other end of the table and pulled out the office chair joined by Yang while Qrow walked over to Summer while Raven and Tai moved towards the back of the room.

Everyone was on edge.

* * *

 ***BEEP***

Summer and Qrow stood up from their chairs. The others knew what this meant. "They're here…" Jaune whispered in fear.

Jaune could feel Yang take his hand while Raven held his shoulder. _Thank god for this whole family,_ he thought to himself.

"I'll go get them," Summer started to move.

"I'm coming with," Qrow added.

Summer nodded, knowing if things were to get out of hand, it would be good to have someone with military experience. Summer moved beyond the waiting room, and to the front door. Her silver eyes locked on the sapphire eyes of the man that caused her newest addition to her family, so much pain.

It flashed in her mind how she kicked in the door, her gun in her hands as scanned her corners. She found the same man, though much larger at the time, pointing a gun at the woman that stood behind him. She could see in the corner of her eyes, the kid on the ground clutching his hand in the hallway.

It made her sick, he made her sick. Her hand drifted over to her holster. "I'm going to open the door, you are going to hold your hands in the air. We are then going to pat you down for any weapons." Summer ordered with a sinister tone in her voice. "If I find one thing, I'm calling this entire thing off and having you arrested."

"Yeah?" The gray-haired, older man said as held up meaty arms. "And I should sue all of you for kidnapping my son." He shot back.

"To get him out of child abuse." Qrow angrily shot back..

The man simply glared at the both of them. "I came here in good faith. You won't find anything on me or my wife."

Summer watched as unlocked the door with her free hand. Slowly, the police officer backed up alongside her husband. The Arcs opened the door slowly made their way in with their hands raised. Once the door was shut, Summer moved over to Anthony Arc.

After an extensive pat down to check for weapons, Summer straightened up and glared at the man. You despicable, vile human being, She thought to herself as angry sapphire eyes stared back at her. Summer then moved over to Mrs. Arc gave her a pat down as well.

"You're the one who handcuffed me, aren't you?" Anthony spoke up.

"I am," Summer replied as she finished up the pat down.

"Odd how things come full circle, huh?" The man chuckled, "A police officer aiding in the kidnapping of my own son."

"Not this again…" Qrow shook his head.

Mrs. Arc slapped his army, "Anthony. You agreed not to start anything, for Jaune's sake. Remember?"

The elderly Arc frowned at the reminder, "You're right."

"Remember. If I see one thing." Summer pointed a sharp finger into his chest, "Your ass will be on the floor with my boot on your throat."

"You'll have no problems, ma'am." Anthony reaffirmed. It was as if there was a complete 180 from the man she was just dealing with. It slightly startled her.

Summer led them down the hall into the conference room.

* * *

Jaune balled his fists underneath the table, he could hear and feel his heart pounding in his head like a jackhammer. Around the corner came Summer…

And his father. He lost a lot of weight. A lot. He eyes were more sunken, bags underneath his blue eyes. He grayed much more. Followed by his mother, then Qrow.

Raven leaned in, "You don't have to say anything if you don't want." She tried to reassure. He could feel her eyes on him, yet he was trapped by his father.

Sapphire eyes met sapphire as the man sat at the other end of the table. "Son." The man said. There was no hint of malice or anger in the man's voice.

That's what struck Jaune the hardest, there was no emotion in his father in the least bit. "Father," Jaune replied back coldly. On the outside, he did his best to portray himself as a statue, yet on the inside, he felt like he was a broken mirror.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Oh my guys...**

 **First off I need to humbly apologize to all of you who really enjoyed this story. I'm sorry that I haven't been able to keep up with it. I won't lie, I was hit by a huge wave of depression when I graduated. It was nasty, I just couldn't do anything as life came crashing down. It took me awhile to actually pick myself up and get help. That being said, I just simply didn't have the motivation to write anything. I'm sorry I let you guys down.**

 **Second off, I am now starting to pick up writing again. I won't lie, I just lost the passion, but I'm getting my feet wet again so that's a good thing! However, that being said, it might be rough.**

 **Finally, I just wanted to thank all of you guys. You guys keep me writing. I'm glad to call you all my family.**

 **Cheers,**

 **Lordxsauron**


	42. Chapter 42: The Crux of the Matter

The room was silent as everyone took their seats. Jaune wasn't sure if he should say anything to get the conversation going. However, thankfully, he didn't have fire the first shot as he stared at his father. The cavalry arrived.

"Well... " Raven started, "You wanted this meeting, so what do you want?"

"Excuse me?" The ex-marine's jaw dropped at the boldness and audacity of Jaune's warden, "What even gives you the right? I want my son back from the people who stole him from me."

Jaune watched intently as Raven kept her cool. Rather surprisingly, she chuckled "Heh… I guess in a way, you're right." Yet the laughter did not hide the utter disgust in her voice. She looked him dead in the eye, "Though I wouldn't need to if you weren't a shitty parent."

Anthony Arc stood up in rage causing Summer to tense up immediately, "Why you…"

"Why am I better parent? Well… let's see… One. I actually put the kid before myself. Two. I don't take my anger or frustration out on my family, Three, I'm not a son of a bitch." She listed off her reasons on her fingers.

"This is unacceptable!" With a loud bang, Anthony Arc, the ex-marine, slammed his fist onto the table.

"You're right… it is completely unacceptable," Raven crossed her arms with a deadly glare.

He needed to do something before his father would lash out. "Raven. That's enough," Jaune finally spoke up as he shot her a warning stare causing the woman to bite her tongue.

His gaze shifted back to his father, "You wanted to meet, what for?"

"I want you back. You belong with your family, Jaune." The man voice sunk down from irate tone to that of a different person. Jaune couldn't hear any anger in his voice. Instead, all he heard was sorrow and regret.

"As of right now, no." Jaune stated flatly. "That isn't happening."

His father seemed absolutely dumbstruck by this revelation, "Why? Are you really going to side with these strangers?"

Jaune narrowed his eyes but tried to remain as calm. If he had the power, he'd punch the man for insulting *his* family. "These _strangers_ welcomed me, a complete stranger, into their own home. They took care of me. Hell, they accepted me into their family."

"They aren't your family though." Anthony tried to counter, "We are."

Something in Jaune was twitching as he quickly scanned the room. Raven and Qrow looked like they wanted to kill the man. Summer looked as if she were a cobra ready to strike. Taiyang seemed a bit more reserved, heck even nervous. Yang… well for once, Jaune couldn't get a good read on her. She had a passive face, but her hands were balled up into fists. She looked pretty reserved, yet her hands had a slight tremble in them. It looked like she was very much trying to hide her emotions.

"You know blood doesn't mean anything. Sure I might have been born from the two of you, but isn't the job to raise their children?" Jaune countered.

"We have…" His mother, Josephine, countered, "We…"

""Isn't it the duty of the parents to make sure that their own child is loved, and I should stress this, _safe_."

His father crossed his arms, "I don't understand what you're trying to get at…"

Jaune leaned back into his chair. "You think you provided a safe environment? For me?" He could the dragon coming out now. _How on hell do they think they kept me safe? On what world do they live in?_ He mentally screamed.

"Ye-"

At that moment, the dragon came out.

"No. Everyday. EVERYDAY. I came home to a passed out mother and and a good chance of a drunk and pissed off father. Everyday when I got off that bus I feared, no, dreaded what I would walk into. And, God, when you were pissed, we felt it." Jaune shot right back as he felt his anger tip out of control. "You failed in one of your basic tenets as a parent: Provide a safe and nurturing home. I did not have any of that"

His father waved a dismissive hand, "You're being ridiculous now. We fed and loved you."

"Yeah until you drank, then you were different people. These people…" He gestured each one, "Provided the basic things you _failed_ to provide. They loved me unconditionally. Not once was I afraid of coming home to them. Not once did I feel alone. I am loved by them, and I love each of them." Jaune shot back as he stood up. "I feel like I belong with them more than I do with you." He murmured as he walked out of the room. "You could never understand what that uncertainty did to me…"

* * *

With his departure, a pregnant silence fell upon the room as everyone was caught up in their own emotions. Barely a minute passed when Yang stood up and followed him out while ignoring the looks of the adults.

 _Jaune… where would you be?_ She thought to herself. That was intense… almost too intense. She wanted to jump into the fight. She wanted to defend her friend. However, deep down, she knew it wasn't her place unless asked to do so. She was there for support.

Closing the door behind her, she scanned the hallway. No sign of her friend. She wandered out of the hallway and out into the reception area. There she found him sitting under the reception desk, his knees drawn up to his chest.

"Hey…" Yang greeted as she sat down in front of him, "There enough room for me?" Honestly there was indeed enough room for eight people, but she didn't want to spook him if he wanted some space to himself.

A heavy minute went by causing Yang's heart to drop.

Without even looking up, Jaune patted the ground beside him which prompted the blonde to crawl under. At this point, she didn't care if her white hoodie would get dirty from the floor. It was worth it.

"I'm sorry…" Jaune murmured.

Yang drew her own knees in under the desk. A frown formed on her face. Why did he have to be sorry? He has nothing to be sorry for?

"What do you have to be sorry for?" She asked gently.

The boy started to silently heave. "I… I…" His voice trembled at the cracking of his internal emotional dam. "All I do is cause pain… No matter what I do, no matter how hard I try, I cause problems. No just for my friends, but for my loved ones, for my family. I just want to help people… I want to be close with people… but the more I do, the more pain I cause. I can't take it anymore."

Yang's heart broke from the boy's hushed confession as she placed an a hand on his shoulder. She didn't need to hear his silenced sobs, she just could feel all of that sadness, all of that anger towards those that hurt him and towards himself just come out. He silently sobbed into his arms as heart bled. "I just want to be accepted… I just want to be loved."

"Jaune…" She tried to soothe him, "Why can't you see what's in front of you. I mean… we've talk about this before."

"I don't know…" He looked up with tear streaked eyes.

At this point, her heart ached seeing the pain he was going through. "You hate yourself, that's why. You're blinded by your anger towards yourself. You need to let go of it. Let go of your anger, and you'll see that people do love you. You'll see a beautiful world."

The boy blinked slowly, "I don't know how to…"

Yang smiled warmly, "You try to make everyone happy. You try help everyone so that way you have to avoid dealing with yourself. Well guess what, you need to stop running away. You need to face reality with facts. You have flaws just like everyone else, but you are also a blessing to others.

Jaune scoffed, "Yeah…? What miracles could I even do?"

Yang giggled, "You entered my life. You're a part of my family. People rely on you. You're going to be able to do a lot. That speaks a lot."

Jaune cracked a weak smiled for a moment until it vanished. "Maybe…," He sighed, "I shouldn't have snapped like that. I shouldn't have gotten angry like that."

Yang's jaw practically dropped, "You… you do realize that you every right to be angry at your parents, right?" She shook her head in disbelief.

The blonde boy bit his lip as he mulled that statement over. She desperately wanted her friend to see that he had every right to feel what was in his heart. God… she could only imagine how she would have felt. She already knew she had temper, she wasn't blind, but the fact he was able to hold so much of it in said something of his iron will.

It also showed what happened when the pressure cooker started to break. The walls he constructed could only go so high before it crumbled again only for him to frantically build it back up again. It was vicious cycle. "Jaune, it's alright to express how you feel. You do know that, right?"

The boy didn't say anything. Absent sapphire eyes stared into the wall as he continued to think. Yang only hoped he was considering her words. "I…" He hesitated.

The blonde girl placed a reassuring hand on his hand causing him to inhale sharply.

"I don't want my problems to be others. I want to help people, not be helped." He confessed.

She rolled her eyes and flicked him on the forehead. "You don't get it. Friends help each other through thick and thin. It's only a problem if you bury and hide it. I want to help you, but I can't do that if you pretend if everything is fine all the time."

Jaune only nodded as she prayed it hit him in the face. "Maybe you're right, but it's hard when all I believe is that I only cause pain onto others." He let out a sigh as his shoulders drooped, "You say I don't cause problems for you. Maybe you're right, but that's not how _I_ see it. My reality is much different compared to yours. You don't understand how hard it is for me to breakout out of that kind of thinking."

A tear started to run down his eye, "I want to believe you, I want to desperately believe you, but that'll break everything I know. Everything I believed in for years. Do you realize that? My world would be absolutely shattered."

 _That's what I'm trying to do, you ninny!_ Yang mentally shouted. _Break down the wall, break your stupid, idiotic world, and show you the beautiful world that we live in._ "Hey… look at me…" Yang cooed him.

The blonde boy hesitantly looked away as he came back to Earth.

"Being vulnerable isn't necessarily a bad thing. It shows you're human. People want to get to know you for you, flaws and all. I might not know what it's like to go through what you're dealing with, but I know I'll help you through it. I know my mom and Uncle Qrow have been there. So maybe you should go talk to them, they'd be more than willing to help you through it."

Her tactical nukes seemed to have hit her mark as her friend cracked a more confident smile. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm not all alone."

The blonde girl gave him a light shove, "You never were."

 **A/N**

 **Hey guys… I'm back. Been a long while, right? Yeah… sorry about that. Like got in the way as usual. Just lost the motivation,**

 **Though shockingly, I managed to have the next chapter done already. It should be out in a couple of days. I didn't want a large chapter that contained two separate points, so we have two smaller chapters.**

 **So I feel like an element of this chapter has been repeated throughout the story. I know it seems repetitive, and that's because it very much is intentionally supposed to repetitive. The idea of Jaune's self and his perception of self-worth.**

 **He always notes that "I only cause pain" or "I'm only a burden." Well yes this one of the lynch pins of the story, but it goes much deeper than that. It's the idea of negative automatic thoughts and cognitive core beliefs. Essentially, if he believes, on a subconscious level that he is a bad person, his automatic thoughts will naturally be negative. It takes much more effort and repetition to change the core beliefs on a conscious level.**

 **I just wanted to share some of my thought process behind my writing. I realizing that I'm rehashing, but it is on purpose lol.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter, the next chapter should be out in a couple of days.**


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